Green onions are very adaptable and can be grown in any climate. Whether you have a large yard, a small balcony or just a sunny window, you can grow scallions and use them to make salads, soups, casseroles, and enjoy fresh and exciting flavors. Read this article to learn a few ways to grow this handy vegetable.
- Choose the bulbs of the onion to plant. Choose red, white or shallot bulbs for planting. These are available at local nurseries and look like mini shallots with bare roots tied together with twine or rubber bands. Bulbs of any type make excellent green onions that do well in indoor plant pots.
- Prepare a pot of potting soil rich in nutrients. Onions grow best in nutrient-rich soil, so choose potting soil that has been composted, or mix homemade compost into standard potting soil. When filling, the soil should be a few centimeters from the top of the pot. Water the soil and prepare it for planting. Make sure the pot is well-drained so the soil doesn’t get flooded.
- Plant bulbs. Each bulb is planted to a depth of 2.5 cm, with the roots flushed down. Gently pat the soil on top. The green onions should be spaced 1.2-5 cm apart so that there is a place for rooting without crowding. Water the shallots and place the pot on the window sill with the most sunlight.
- Indoor growing can be done any time of year as long as you can provide the right conditions. Onions need full sun, so they should be placed on windowsills that receive the most sunlight. Make sure the temperature doesn’t drop below zero.
- Soil moisture remains balanced. Water every few days or when the soil starts to dry out. Don’t overwater – the soil should be moist, but not flooded.
- Harvest the onions when they are 15-20 cm tall. After a few weeks, the green tops will appear and grow. You can either pull the plant out of the pot and eat the green and white parts, or use pruning shears to cut off the green top and let the bulb continue to grow. If you leave the bulb in the pot, you should be able to get at least one more harvest before it stops producing.
DIY Tips:
- 6-8 weeks before the start of the growing season, you can plant the seeds indoors and transplant into the soil outside. If you don’t want to start from seed, you can buy spring onions from a nursery.
- If you are growing green onions in plant containers, water them more frequently because the soil dries out faster.
- When you use shallots, leave 2.5 cm above the roots for replanting. Replanting will give you a steady onion production this season.
