Green onions are a kitchen staple, used for flavoring and garnishing salads, sauces, soups, dips and many more dishes. Green onions, aka scallions, are non-bulb-producing onions (Allium fistulosum). These are the green onions most often found in grocery stores. They are prized for their mild onion flavor and tender, garden-fresh texture.
"Where it gets confusing," says Clemson University vegetable specialist Gilbert Miller, "is the true bulbing onion (Allium cepa) can be harvested early, pre-bulb formation, and look like a scallion."
Green onions (the non-bulb-producing kinds) are the focus of this guide. These plants are easy to grow and take up very little room as they develop. Here's what you need to know to enjoy a zesty harvest of green onions from your own garden.
Where to Plant Green Onions
Plant green onions in a sunny site in fertile, neutral to slightly acidic, and well-drained soil. Because they don't take up much space, they are easy to tuck into the corner of a raised bed or at the end of a row of another crop. They need good drainage, so raised beds are an excellent choice for growing green onions. They can also be grown in containers along with herbs or edible flowers.
How and When to Plant Green Onions
Plant green onions from seed outdoors in mid-spring, or start them indoors in early spring for transplanting into the garden in late spring. They grow rapidly and are ready for harvesting in about 60 to 90 days. They can be planted in spring for a summer harvest and again in mid-summer for a fall or winter harvest.
Be sure the bed is free of weeds before planting, and remove any weeds that show up while they are still small. Weeds compete for water and nutrients, and it is nearly impossible to pull up large weeds without disturbing young green onion plants.
Green Onion Care Tips
Green onions are among the easiest and most rewarding vegetables you can grow. They take minimal space and quickly produce a harvest.
Light
Green onions grow best in full sun (at least six hours daily) but tolerate a little shade, particularly in the afternoon.
Soil and Water
Green onions are not fussy about soils, although a fertile sandy loam is ideal, and they do best where the pH is neutral to slightly acidic (pH of 6.0 to 7.0). Excellent drainage is essential; too much moisture causes roots to rot. Incorporate compost into the soil before planting to a depth of about 6 inches to add nutrients to the soil and improve drainage. If you grow green onions in containers, the pots must have adequate drainage holes.
