How to Grow Scallions & Onions

Scallions also are called spring onions or green onions.

Growing onions -- whether you cut them when they are young for scallions or allow them to mature into full bulbs -- is a straightforward process for even novice gardeners. It starts with selecting the variety that best suits your needs and preparing the garden bed. Once the onion sets are planted, expect to start harvesting scallions within a couple months and mature bulbs near the end of summer.

Things You'll Need

• Shovel
• Compost
• Hoe
• Onion seeds or sets
• Knife

Instructions

1. Select the variety of onion you want to grow. For scallions, use bunching onion varieties if you aren't interested in collecting full bulbs. For mature onions, color, size and flavor should all factor into your decision.

2. Dig the onion bed in a spot that receives and has light soil that drains well rather than soil that tends to remain soggy through the growing season. Mix in a cubic foot of compost for every square foot of garden space.

3. Drag a hoe across the soil to form ½-inch-deep trenchlike rows. Space the rows approximately 1 foot apart to leave room to walk through for harvesting, watering and maintenance.

4. Plant seeds into the trench every ½ inch. If planting small, immature onion bulbs, called sets, push individual sets up to an inch deep in the trench every 3 to 5 inches with the points facing up. Cover over the seeds and push the soil to cover the bottom three-quarters of the sets.

5. Sprinkle water over the bed to moisten the soil evenly. Water two to three times each week to maintain a damp bed. Once the seeds have sprouted pull the weakest ones to leave behind strong seedlings every 3 to 5 inches.

6. Continue to water the seedlings for the first two months after sprouting until the green leaves are about 6 to 8 inches tall. Pull up the tender scallions whole or use a knife to cut free only one to two leaves from each bulb.

7. Bend over the thickened leaves of the onions when you notice flower heads at the ends, but before the flowers open, around midsummer. Don't break the leaves, just bend them. Leave the stalks to dry and turn brown over a few weeks before harvesting the mature onion bulbs.

Tips & Warnings

• Scallions and mature onions can be grown in containers as well as planted between other plants.

References

• "Vegetable Gardening: Your Ultimate Guide"; Robert J. Dolezal; 2000
• "Growing Fruit and Vegetables"; Richard Bird; 2003

Resources

• National Gardening Association: Onion varieties