Spring Onion

Spring onions are fast and easy to grow, so they’re great for beginners and perfect for squeezing into small spaces. It’s their sweet and mild flavor that makes them ideal for fast cooking or garnishing dishes. Add them to scrambled eggs for a subtle onion flavour, chop them into matchstick lengths for quick stir fries or finely diced they can be used as a garnish on nearly everything. 

When planting out seedlings it’s easiest to make a shallow furrow and lay the seedlings into it spaced 2-4cm apart. You can then quickly backfill by running your hand down one side pushing soil over the roots. Don’t worry if the seedings aren’t standing upright as they will correct themselves as they establish.

Spring onions will also grow well in pots or containers. Choose a pot that is at least 15cm deep and allows for good drainage. Watch them during hot weather as potted plants will dry out faster and need more frequent watering than those growing in beds.

Spring onions can be harvested 8-10 weeks after sowing seeds or once the plants are roughly the thickness of a pencil. In the cooler months they will grow more slowly and may reach harvesting size in 12-14 weeks.

When ready to harvest you can either pull the plant completely out of the ground, harvesting it all OR cut the shoot off about 1cm above ground level. The remaining stump will then reshoot giving you'll a continual crop.