How to Grow a Perfect Green Onion

Green onions require little space in the garden and a short growing period.

Green onions are immature onions, pulled before the bulb can grow underground and dry out. One of the easiest crops for even novice gardeners, green onions are pulled when the tops are still green. They can be eaten raw -- such as in salads -- or cooked and have a milder bite and flavor compared to fully mature onions. Green onions are often referred to as scallions; although the two are slightly different, they can be used interchangeably. Requiring only basic gardening care, they are ready for harvest a month after planting, making them a delicious springtime treat.

Things You'll Need

• Hand spade or hoe
• Garden hose with nozzle
• Compost or organic fertilizer (optional)

Instructions

1. Prepare the garden soil where you plan to plant the green onions at least three weeks before the last frost. Loosen it with a hand spade or hoe, removing any compaction of the dirt. Once the soil is loosened, dig a long trench that is 1 1/2 to 2 inches deep.

2. Purchase onion "sets" to plant, usually from a garden supply center or nursery. Sold in bundles of 25 to 100, these are miniature onion bulbs -- approximately 1/2 inch across -- that mature into full onions if they are not pulled as immature green onions.

3. Position the onion bulbs or sets in the trench, with the flat part of the onion resting in the bottom of the trench and the green top sticking out above the soil at the top line of the trench. If the green top is not yet showing, make sure the root portion of the onion is facing downward into the trench. The bulbs can be touching.

4. Cover the onion sets with loosened soil, filling the trench in to be level with the rest of the garden soil.

5. Water the soil so that it is completely moist but not saturated with standing water. Keep watering frequently if the spring weather is not providing sufficient rainwater to keep the soil moist.

6. Sprinkle some composting material around the onions, if desired, or a high-nitrogen organic fertilizer two weeks after planting. Fertilizer is not required for the short growing time necessary to produce green onions.

7. Keep the onions weed free; weeds compete with the bulbs for water and soil nutrients. Pull weeds by hand around the green onion stalks.

8. Harvest the green onions three to four weeks after planting. The green tops should be 6 to 8 inches tall. Gently pull on the top, removing the bulb from the soil. Tap off excess dirt gently so that you don't bruise the onion bulb. Wash the green onions thoroughly before eating.

Tips & Warnings

• Green onions do well in most soil types, as long as it is well drained.

• Green onions are pulled before crowding becomes an issue; therefore, the bulbs can be touching when planted.

• Onions will rot, rather than grow, in any garden bed that has standing water.

References

• Food Skills for Self-Sufficiency: Growing Green Onions
• Onion Gardening Tips: Harvesting Green Onions
• University of Illinois Extension: Onion

Resources

• Texas A&M University Extension: Onion Planting
• Onion Gardening: Ideal Growing Conditions for Onions
• Purdue University Horticulture; Onions and Their Relatives; B. Rosie Lerner
• University of Illinois Extension: Harvesting Vegetables