How to Grow Green Onions in Pots and Garden Beds

Green onions (also called scallions or spring onions) are among the fastest and most rewarding crops for home gardens. From sowing to first harvest takes as few as 60 days for most varieties, they need minimal space, grow well in containers, and can be succession-sown through most of the growing season for a continuous kitchen supply.

Growing from Seed vs Regrowing from Roots

Green onions are most commonly grown from seed, but regrowing them from the root ends of store-bought bunches is a practical shortcut many kitchen gardeners use. Place the root ends in a glass of water on a windowsill and replace the water every two days: new green tops regenerate within a week and can be harvested repeatedly for several weeks before the plant exhausts its reserves.

For a full productive planting from seed, sow 1 centimeter deep at 2 to 3 centimeter spacing in rows 15 centimeters apart. No thinning is needed for scallion types harvested at the green onion stage before bulbing.

Container Growing

A pot as shallow as 15 centimeters depth is sufficient for green onions. Use a standard potting mix with good drainage. Sow seeds densely (2 to 3 centimeters apart) across the pot surface and harvest by pulling individual plants as they reach usable size. A single 30-centimeter pot kept on a sunny windowsill or patio provides a regular kitchen supply from spring through autumn with succession sowings every three weeks.

Watering and Harvest

Green onions need consistent moisture but not waterlogging. The white base and lower stem begin to develop within 8 weeks of sowing. Harvest by pulling when the white portion is 10 to 15 centimeters long. Early harvesting produces milder flavor: leaving plants longer produces a more pungent, bulbing onion effect.