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.

At a glance

  • Difficulty

    Easy

  • Sunlight

    Full sun

  • Water

    Average thirst

  • 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.

Optional local dates

Planting dates where you live

The growing guide above works anywhere. This section adds local frost dates when we have them.

Optional local dates

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Helpful gardening guides

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.

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.

Step by step

  1. Plant in early springSow seed or plant small sets as soon as the soil can be worked.
  2. Cover seed lightlySow a quarter to half an inch deep in rows about 12 to 18 inches apart.
  3. Thin crowded shootsLeave about 2 to 4 inches between plants so the white bases have room.
  4. Keep shallow roots moistWater well when rain is short and check sandy soil often.
  5. Hoe with careRemove weeds near the surface so you do not cut the shallow onion roots.
  6. Pull stalks as neededUse green onions at any useful size. They do not need to form dry bulbs.

Common mistakes

  • Letting the bed dry outShallow onion roots cannot reach deep water. Dry soil slows the stalks.
  • Hoeing too deeplyDeep tools cut roots and can injure the white base. Weed only near the surface.
  • Waiting for a storage bulbGreen onions are grown for stalks. Pull them while tender instead of curing them like dry onions.

Water

Average thirst

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.

  • Too dry
  • About right
  • Too wet
  • If it goes drySuffers quickly when dryGrowth slows and the green tips can dry or yellow.
  • If it stays wetDislikes sitting wetSoil that stays wet can lead to soft growth and rot.

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.

Harvest

You will know it is ready when: Harvest whenever the stalks are green, upright and large enough for your meal. Pull any plant that starts making a seed stalk.

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

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

Is this right for you?

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

Soil

  • 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.

The year at a glance

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

Questions people ask

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.

Also filed under: Vegetables

Where this came from

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

Sources & review dates
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