Green Onion
Allium fistulosum
Green onion delivers slender scallions from dense sowings or sets in cool weather. Quick turnover, spacing as tight as 3–5 cm, and sowings every 21 days keep a steady supply of mild tops and tender white shanks. Hardy plants accept outdoor sowing from several weeks before the last frost through two weeks after it when soil is workable.
Plant family Amaryllidaceae · Also called scallion, bunching onion, spring onion
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Sow thickly for slender scallions.
Sow seed about 1.3 cm deep outdoors from four weeks before the last frost through two weeks after it, or start indoors 8–10 weeks before frost for earlier bunches. Germination takes 7–14 days.
Hardy classification supports early outdoor sowing. Dense planting within the spacing range produces pencil-thin stems; wider spacing is unnecessary unless bulbs are desired.
Use this range as a planning baseline and adjust for local conditions.
Use this range as a planning baseline and adjust for local conditions.
Use this range as a planning baseline and adjust for local conditions.
Use this range as a planning baseline and adjust for local conditions.
Use tight spacing or dense pots.
Plant as close as 3–5 cm for bunching scallions with rows near 25 cm. Compact habit suits edge beds and narrow containers.
Containers need 20 cm depth and about 5 litres minimum. Shallow trays work for short-cycle scallions harvested young.
Core measurements
Crop-level planning range.
Crop-level planning range.
Crop-level planning range.
Crop-level planning range.
Allow for the mature form of the selected variety.
Install support early when it is required or useful.
Keep the shallow root zone moist.
Part sun with four hours of direct light minimum is enough for leaf growth. Heat accelerates bulbing in some types, so spring and autumn sowings often look best.
Moderate water at 25–35 mm weekly with pH 6.0–7.0. Even moisture keeps shanks tender; drought makes stems pungent and fibrous.
Sunlight
Part sun tolerant (4+ direct-sun hours/day)
Soil pH
A suitable acidity range for general growth.
Weekly water
Moderate water need.
Aim for even moisture and water deeply when the upper 2-3 cm of soil begins to dry.
Cut as soon as shafts are usable.
Expect 50–70 days from sowing. Pull whole bunches when shafts reach usable thickness, or cut tops above the crown for limited regrowth.
Succession every 21 days maintains supply. Sets or transplants can shorten the calendar compared with direct seed alone.
Read with the full crop profile.
Read with the full crop profile.
Read with the full crop profile.
Read with the full crop profile.
Sow densely for slender stems and harvest as soon as the shafts reach useful size.
Green Onion growing questions
Should green onions be sown thickly?
The key tip recommends dense sowing for slender stems within the 3–5 cm spacing band.
Can green onion use sets or transplants?
Planting material includes seed, sets, or transplants, though harvest days assume sowing when seed is used.
Are green onions hardy?
Yes. Hardy frost tolerance allows sowing from four weeks before the last frost through two weeks after.
What succession interval is listed?
21 days between sowings where the season allows repeated plantings.
Profile values are crop-level planning ranges compiled from sources S1,S2,S3,S4. Local climate and variety can change actual results.
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