Imagine never having to buy green onions from the store again. You just step out to your garden or windowsill and snip off what you need, fresh and flavorful, anytime you want. This guide will show you exactly how to plant green onions, one of the easiest and most rewarding food projects you can do. It’s the ultimate kitchen hack for fresh flavor on demand.
Green onions, also known as scallions or spring onions, are the perfect crop for beginners and seasoned gardeners alike.
They grow incredibly fast and take up very little space. We’ll cover everything from planting seeds to the magical trick of regrowing them from scraps. Let’s get started on your journey to a never-ending supply!
Why You Should Be Growing Green Onions
Besides being delicious, there are so many great reasons to grow your own green onions.
- They Grow Super Fast: You can go from seed to harvest in just a few weeks. It’s one of the most satisfyingly quick crops you can grow.
- They Take Up Almost No Space: You don’t need a big yard. Green onions thrive in small garden beds, containers on a patio, or even in a jar of water on your kitchen counter.
- Cut-and-Come-Again Harvest: This is the best part! When you harvest green onions correctly, they will regrow, giving you multiple harvests from a single planting. It’s the plant that keeps on giving.
- Saves You Money: A single bunch of green onions from the store can be regrown over and over again. It’s an incredibly frugal and sustainable way to have fresh produce.
- Reduces Food Waste: Instead of letting the white ends of your store-bought scallions go to waste, you can give them a new life.
What’s in a Name? Scallions vs. Green Onions vs. Spring Onions
You’ll hear these terms used all the time, and it can be confusing. For most purposes, they are very similar.
- Green Onions / Scallions: These terms are generally used interchangeably. They refer to onions that are harvested before a large bulb has formed. They have a long, green stalk and a slender, non-bulbed white base.
- Spring Onions: These are slightly more mature than scallions. They have been left in the ground a bit longer, so they have started to form a small, round bulb at the base. The flavor is a little stronger.
The great news is that the planting and growing methods for all of them are virtually identical.
Method 1: The Easiest Way – Regrowing from Scraps
This method is so easy it feels like a magic trick. It’s the perfect introduction to learning how to plant green onions. You are literally turning your kitchen scraps into more food.
What You’ll Need:
- A bunch of green onions from the grocery store.
- A glass jar or cup.
- Water.
Step-by-Step Instructions:
Step 1: Prep Your Scraps
- The next time you use green onions in a recipe, don’t throw away the ends!
- Chop off the green tops to use in your cooking, but leave the white part with the stringy roots at the bottom. You should have a piece that is about 1 to 2 inches long.
Step 2: Place Them in Water
- Take these white root ends and place them in a clear glass jar or cup.
- Add just enough water to cover the roots, but not the whole stem. You want about ½ to 1 inch of water.
Step 3: Find a Sunny Spot
- Place the jar on a sunny windowsill where it can get several hours of bright, indirect light each day.
Step 4: Watch the Magic and Change the Water
- Within just a couple of days, you will see new green shoots starting to grow from the center of the white stems. It happens incredibly fast!
- It’s very important to change the water every 2 to 3 days. This keeps the water fresh and prevents the roots from getting slimy and rotting.
Step 5: Harvest or Transplant
- You can let them grow in the water and simply snip off the green tops as you need them.
- For stronger, longer-lasting plants, it’s best to transplant them into soil after about a week. The plant will get more nutrients from soil and can be harvested many more times. Just plant the entire root piece in a pot or garden bed, leaving the green shoots exposed.
Method 2: How to Plant Green Onions from Seeds
For a much larger and more robust harvest, starting from seed is the way to go. It’s very easy and a packet of seeds will give you hundreds of plants.
Choosing Your Seeds
Look for seeds labeled “scallions” or “bunching onions.” These are varieties that have been bred specifically to produce long, tender green stalks rather than large bulbs.
- Popular Varieties: ‘Evergreen Hardy White’, ‘Tokyo Long White’, ‘Guardsman’.
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When and Where to Plant
- When: Green onions are a cool-season crop. You can plant seeds directly in the garden starting in early spring, about 2-4 weeks before your last frost date. You can continue to plant a new batch every few weeks all summer long for a continuous supply (this is called succession planting).
- Where: Choose a spot that gets at least 6 hours of full sun each day. They also do great in containers on a sunny porch or balcony.
Preparing the Soil
- Green onions are not heavy feeders, but they appreciate good soil.
- Work a 1- to 2-inch layer of compost into the top 6 inches of your garden soil or potting mix. This provides gentle nutrients and helps the soil hold moisture.
- Make sure the soil is loose and well-draining.
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Step-by-Step Planting Guide:
Step 1: Make a Furrow
- Using your finger or a small stick, draw a very shallow trench in the soil, only about ¼ to ½ inch deep. Green onion seeds are small and shouldn’t be planted too deeply.
Step 2: Sow the Seeds
- Sprinkle the tiny black seeds thinly along the bottom of the furrow. Don’t worry about perfect spacing; you will thin them out later. Aim for about 2-3 seeds per inch.
Step 3: Cover and Water
- Gently brush the soil back over the seeds to cover them.
- Pat the soil down lightly with your hand.
- Water the area well with a gentle spray, being careful not to wash the seeds away. Keep the soil consistently moist until the seeds sprout, which can take 7-14 days.
Caring for Your Green Onion Patch
Whether you started from scraps or seeds, the care is the same and it’s very simple.
Watering
Green onions have shallow roots, so they need consistent moisture.
- Keep the soil evenly moist, like a wrung-out sponge. Don’t let it dry out completely.
- Watering once or twice a week is usually sufficient, but check the soil with your finger. If the top inch is dry, it’s time to water.
Weeding
- Young green onion seedlings are thin like grass and can easily be overtaken by weeds.
- Keep the area well-weeded. A thin layer of mulch, like straw or grass clippings, can help keep weeds down and moisture in.
Thinning (for Seed-Grown Plants)
- Once your seedlings are a few inches tall, you’ll need to thin them out.
- You want one plant every 1 to 2 inches.
- Don’t just pull out the extras! This can disturb the roots of the plants you want to keep. Instead, use a small pair of scissors to snip the unwanted seedlings off at the soil level. And guess what? The tiny thinnings are edible and delicious as a micro-garnish!
Harvest Time: The “Cut-and-Come-Again” Method
This is the secret to a never-ending supply. You don’t pull the whole plant out of the ground.
- When to Harvest: You can start harvesting when the green tops are about 6 to 8 inches tall and about the thickness of a pencil.
- The Technique: Use a sharp pair of scissors or kitchen shears. Snip the green tops off, leaving about 1 to 2 inches of the stem above the soil line.
- The plant will use the energy stored in its base to regrow new green tops from the cut end. You can repeat this process 3 to 4 times, or even more, from a single plant!
Growing in Containers
Green onions are perfect for container gardening.
- Choose a Pot: A pot that is at least 6 inches deep will work well. Make sure it has drainage holes!
- Soil: Use a high-quality all-purpose potting mix.
- Planting: You can plant seeds or transplant your regrown scraps from water into the pot.
- Location: Place the pot in the sunniest spot you have. A south-facing window or balcony is ideal.
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Conclusion
You are now ready to enjoy fresh, homegrown scallions whenever you want! Learning how to plant green onions is one of the most rewarding and simple gardening projects you can undertake.
Whether you start by magically regrowing scraps in a jar or by sowing a patch of seeds in your garden, the “cut-and-come-again” nature of this amazing plant will provide you with an endless supply of crisp, mild onion flavor for all your favorite dishes.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. How long does it take to grow green onions?
From seed, it takes about 60-80 days to get a full-sized harvest. If you are regrowing from scraps, you can get your first harvest of green tops in as little as 1-2 weeks!
2. Do green onions keep regrowing after you cut them?
Yes! This is their best feature. As long as you leave the white base and roots in the soil (or water), the green tops will grow back multiple times.
3. Do green onions need full sun?
Yes, for the best and fastest growth, they should get at least 6 hours of direct sunlight per day. They can tolerate a little bit of shade, but they will grow more slowly.
4. How many times can you regrow green onions?
If you are regrowing them in water, you can usually get 1-2 good harvests before the plant runs out of energy. If you plant them in soil, where they can get nutrients, you can often harvest from the same plant 4-5 times or more.
5. What’s the difference between scallions and green onions?
There is no difference! The terms scallions and green onions are used interchangeably to refer to the same type of young onion with a non-bulbed base.
6. Can I grow green onions indoors?
Absolutely! Green onions are one of the best edible plants to grow indoors. Regrowing them in a jar of water on a sunny windowsill is the easiest way. You can also grow them in a small pot with soil.
7. Why are my regrown green onions so thin?
If you are regrowing them in water, each new growth will be a little thinner than the last because the plant is using up its stored energy and has no new nutrients. For thicker, stronger regrowth, it’s best to plant them in soil after the first week.
