Choose a firm, smooth root with no soft spots, ideally organic, since some shop-bought roots are treated with sprout inhibitors and may not grow. Push three or four toothpicks around the middle, then suspend the root with the pointed end up in a jar of water, so the bottom half is submerged. Place it somewhere warm and bright, change the water every few days, and wait. Small shoots, called slips, will appear in a few weeks.