When you try to recycle onion bottoms, carrot root tops, potato peels with eyes on them, shriveled sweet potatoes, overaged garlic, or if you decide to try planting some harder to find items like shallots from items you purchased at the grocery store, it really helps to use organic vegetables!

Many root crops are sprayed with a sprout inhibitor (Google "budnip"). It can prevent sprouting, delay sprouting, or allow sprouting but prohibit reproduction, depending on the plant in question, amount sprayed, and general age and conditions of the plant. Some may never grow at all. Some may. Some may grow badly.

Organic crops are generally not treated with substances to prevent sprouting, so they will work much better to start new plants.