can you plant old red onions or just toss them?

Every time I find a forgotten red onion sprouting in my pantry, I’m transported back to my grandmother’s kitchen—her hands always busy, never wasting a thing. She’d tuck those sprouting onions into her backyard garden, swearing they’d grow into something useful. But now, in our tidy suburban neighborhoods, I wonder: do we still value that old wisdom, or do we just toss them in the compost? I tried planting a few of my own last spring, and honestly, the results were mixed. Some onions grew strong and green, others fizzled out, maybe because our unpredictable Midwest weather isn’t as forgiving as the mild seasons of my childhood. My neighbor, who prefers perfectly manicured flower beds, gave me a look—half amused, half disapproving. She says it’s unsightly, but I see hope in every sprout. There’s a real debate here: should we embrace the old ways, letting our gardens be a patchwork of memories and experiments, or stick to the new, neat rules of our HOA? Some say planting old onions is wasteful, others call it resourceful. What do you think? Is it time to revive the family tradition, or should we let go of the past for the sake of curb appeal? #gardeningdebate #familytraditions #midwestgardening #Gardening