Eating Garden

How to Grow Green Onions

Allium cepa

An onion grown for its mild green stalks and small white base instead of a dry storage bulb.

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At a glance

  • Difficulty

    Easy

    1 of 5 · More shovels, more care

  • Sunlight

    Full sun

  • Water

    Average thirst

  • First harvest

    50 days

    from sowing

  • Growing in a pot

    Suitable for pots

  • Plant spacing

    2 to 4 in apart

More about this plant

Plant seed, young plants or small onion sets in early spring. Keep the shallow roots moist, thin crowded plants and pull stalks whenever they are large enough to use.

  • Grows over two seasons.
  • Can grow in raised beds, the open ground.
  • Fine in a small space.
  • A good one to grow together with children.
  • Ready to pick quickly.

Make it your plan

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What are you starting with?
Where will it grow?

Your plan, starting Nov 10, 2026

Estimated harvest: From about Dec 30, 2026. Add your location to compare this date with local planting windows. Your chosen date stays the same.

Add your location to compare this date with local planting windows. Your chosen date stays the same.

Estimated first harvest

From about Dec 30, 2026

Counted from sowing. Variety, plant age, weather, and care can change this estimate.

Harvest whenever the stalks are green, upright and large enough for your meal. Pull any plant that starts making a seed stalk.

Cool spring weather with soil that can be worked. Green onions tolerate light frost, and they do not need the long summer days required to make large storage bulbs.

First, gather a few things

  • Green Onion seeds
  • A draining pot with room for the roots
  • Potting mix that drains well
  • A watering can or hose

Start or plant it

Follow the steps for the way you chose to start.

  1. Start here

    1. Plant in early spring

    Sow seed or plant small sets as soon as the soil can be worked.

  2. 2. Cover seed lightly

    Sow a quarter to half an inch deep in rows about 12 to 18 inches apart.

Water

Check the soil first. Heat, rain, and pots can change how often this plant needs water.

  1. 1. Check before you water

    Push a finger about 1 inch into the soil. Water when it feels dry there.

  2. 2. Water the roots

    Water slowly at the base until the soil feels moist a few inches down. For a pot, water until a little runs out of the drainage holes.

    Onions have shallow roots and need steady moisture. If rain is under about one inch a week, soak the soil well and check sandy soil more often.

Need help judging moisture? Read how to check the soil and water the roots.

If the plant looks unhappy

  • Too dry

    Growth slows and the green tips can dry or yellow.

    If the soil is dry, water deeply and check it again tomorrow.

  • Too wet

    Soil that stays wet can lead to soft growth and rot.

    If the soil is wet, wait before watering again and check that excess water can drain away.

While it grows

Check on your plant and do these jobs as they come up.

  1. 1. Thin crowded shoots

    Leave about 2 to 4 inches between plants so the white bases have room.

  2. 2. Hoe with care

    Remove weeds near the surface so you do not cut the shallow onion roots.

Looking after it

  • FeedingAn occasional feed helpsUse compost and a soil test. Too much nitrogen makes soft growth and is not needed for a quick green-onion harvest.
  • NitrogenToo much nitrogen costs some crop
  • ThinningThin seedlings to 3 in apartCrowded seedlings stay small. Pull the weaker ones and keep the strongest.
  • MulchA weed-free organic mulch helps the shallow soil stay moist.

Pick and store it

Use the plant's signs of readiness, then harvest gently.

  1. 1. Check if it is ready

    Harvest whenever the stalks are green, upright and large enough for your meal. Pull any plant that starts making a seed stalk.

  2. 2. Pick it

    Loosen the soil and pull the whole plant, or cut a few outer greens for immediate use.

  3. 3. Keep it fresh

    Harvest only what you plan to use soon and leave the rest growing. Keep picked stalks cool until use.

More picking tips

  1. 1. Pull stalks as needed

    Use green onions at any useful size. They do not need to form dry bulbs.

Common problems

    Common mistakes

    • Letting the bed dry out

      Shallow onion roots cannot reach deep water. Dry soil slows the stalks.

    • Hoeing too deeply

      Deep tools cut roots and can injure the white base. Weed only near the surface.

    • Waiting for a storage bulb

      Green onions are grown for stalks. Pull them while tender instead of curing them like dry onions.

    Questions about green onions

    Tap a question to see the answer.

    Will green onions grow where I live?

    Cool spring weather with soil that can be worked. Green onions tolerate light frost, and they do not need the long summer days required to make large storage bulbs.

    • LightFull sun
    • ShadeCopes with a little shade
    • SeasonA cool season cropUsually grown in spring or fall.
    • FrostSurvives a light frost
    • HeatCopes with heat

    What soil is best for green onions?

    • Soil pH6.0 to 7.0A cheap test kit from a garden centre will tell you yours.
    • Soil it likesLoam, Sandy
    • DrainageWants well drained ground
    • RichnessAverage ground is fine

    Use well-drained soil with plenty of organic matter. Mix in finished compost or well-rotted manure before planting.

    Do not use fresh manure. Follow a soil test instead of adding fertilizer by habit.

    Before changing your soil, learn how to test soil acidity and understand the result.

    When and how deep do I plant green onions?

    When to plant

    Match these relative steps to your local seasons. Where frost applies, use the last freezing night in spring and the first in fall. In frost-free climates, follow trusted local seasonal guidance.

    • Sow outdoors 0 to 2 weeks after the start of your growing seasonSow in early spring as soon as the soil can be worked.
    • Plant out 0 to 2 weeks after the start of your growing seasonPlant transplants or sets in early spring. Light frost is acceptable.
    • Ready to pick about 50 days from sowing.

    What you need

    • How to start itFrom seed or a young plantYou can sow it straight into the ground, or start it indoors first.
    • How deep to plant0.25 to 0.5 in
      Planting depth: 0.25 to 0.5 in below the soil surface. Drawing is not to scale.
    • How far apart2 to 4 inLeave 12 to 18 in between rows.
      Leave 2 to 4 in between plants and 12 to 18 in between rows. View from above; drawing is not to scale.

    What happens to green onions through the year?

    Measured from the start of your growing season, because seasons differ from garden to garden. In frost-free climates, use trusted local seasonal guidance alongside these relative steps.

    1. Sow outdoors

      0 to 2 weeks after the start of your growing season

    2. Plant out

      0 to 2 weeks after the start of your growing season

    How do I give green onions a better start?

    Simple ways to help your green onion grow, from the soil up.

    • Start with good soil

      Use well-drained soil with plenty of organic matter. Mix in finished compost or well-rotted manure before planting.

    • Give the soil a cover

      A weed-free organic mulch helps the shallow soil stay moist.

    • Make room to grow

      Thin seedlings to 3 inches apart.

    • Feed with care

      Use compost and a soil test. Too much nitrogen makes soft growth and is not needed for a quick green-onion harvest.

    Do not use fresh manure. Follow a soil test instead of adding fertilizer by habit.

    Are green onions and scallions the same?

    The names often mean onions harvested for green stalks and a small white base rather than a dry bulb.

    Can I grow green onions from sets?

    Yes. Small onion sets planted in early spring are a simple way to grow green onions.

    When can I pull a green onion?

    Any time the stalk is large enough to use. Pull plants that start making a seed stalk.

    Do green onions need long summer days?

    Not for a green-stalk harvest. Day length matters more when you want a full dry bulb.

    Helpful gardening guides

    Dig into the next thing you need, from starting a garden to getting watering right.

    Starting your first garden? Choose your space and get it ready, then plan local planting times.

    Browse all gardening guides

    Also filed under: Vegetables

    Where this came from

    Advice varies with your climate and variety. Check the sources behind each section.

    Sources & review dates
    Timing
    University of Minnesota Extension, Growing onions in home gardens · checked 2026-09-15
    Utah State University Extension, Onions in the Garden · checked 2026-09-21 · Days to maturity: green onions may be harvested as early as 50 days after seeding. The page gives no upper figure, so none is recorded.
    University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources, UC Master Gardener Program, Time of planting · checked 2026-09-24 · Where frost is rare, cool-season crops are timed to months averaging 55°F to 75°F.
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