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Green onions, also called scallions, spring onions or bunching onions, are one of the fastest, easiest and most versatile crops for any grower. From a windowsill jar in a New York apartment to a market garden in Lagos, the same simple principles apply. This guide covers how to grow green onions in 2026<\/strong>, whether you want a permanent kitchen supply from regrown scraps or a small commercial patch that turns over every 60 days.<\/p>\n The name covers three closely related things:<\/p>\n In markets around the world, all three end up in the same bunch. For growers, the practical choice is between bunching onions<\/strong> (grow, cut, regrow, season after season) and seedling onions<\/strong> (pull whole, replant).<\/p>\n Small onion sets or nursery-raised seedlings transplant well, cutting weeks off the calendar. Bury the white base 2 cm deep, 5 cm apart.<\/p>\n Green onions need consistent, light watering. About 20 to 25 mm per week during active growth. Avoid drought stress, it triggers early bolting and toughens the leaves. Avoid waterlogging, it invites rot.<\/p>\n Two light nitrogen applications spaced 3 weeks apart give the best leaf color and flavor. Blood meal, feather meal, or a balanced 10-10-10 at 100 to 150 kg per hectare works well. For home growers, a diluted fish emulsion or seaweed spray every 10 days is fine.<\/p>\n Keep the bed weed-free for the first 4 to 5 weeks. After that, the closed canopy of leaves suppresses most competitors.<\/p>\n Overall, green onions are one of the least pest-prone crops you can grow.<\/p>\n Green onions are an ideal \u00ab\u00a0gateway crop\u00a0\u00bb for market gardeners entering the fresh produce trade. For those planning a market gardening operation, our greenhouse and protected culture<\/a> and agricultural consulting<\/a> teams design production layouts that maximize turnover per square meter.<\/p>\n Article by the Jogoo Agriculture agronomy team. Recommendations should be adapted to your climate, variety and locally registered inputs.<\/em><\/p>\n Green onions take 60 to 80 days from seed to first harvest, depending on climate and variety. Bunching onion varieties can then be cut repeatedly, with new leaves regrowing in 10 to 20 days after each cut. A single planting typically supports 3 to 5 cuttings before vigor declines.<\/p>\n Yes. Save the white root end (about 3 cm long with roots intact), place root-down in a glass with enough water to cover just the roots, and set in bright indirect light. Change water every 2 to 3 days. Fresh green tops regrow in 5 to 10 days. After 2 to 3 rounds of cutting, transplant into soil for continued vigor.<\/p>\n True bunching onions (Allium fistulosum) are perennial and regrow year after year when their base is left in the soil. Young common onions (Allium cepa) sold as spring onions are annuals, they are pulled whole and replanted. Most commercial \u00ab\u00a0green onions\u00a0\u00bb are a mix of both depending on the region.<\/p>\n The three names refer to essentially the same product at slightly different stages. In North America, \u00ab\u00a0green onion\u00a0\u00bb and \u00ab\u00a0scallion\u00a0\u00bb are used interchangeably. In the UK and Australia, \u00ab\u00a0spring onion\u00a0\u00bb is the more common term. Botanically the crop can be either a true bunching onion (Allium fistulosum, no bulb) or a common onion (Allium cepa) harvested young.<\/p>\n Green onions need at least 6 hours of direct sunlight per day for best growth, though they tolerate light shade. In hot tropical climates, some afternoon shade during peak dry season protects leaf quality and slows bolting.<\/p>\n
\n1. What exactly is a \u00ab\u00a0green onion\u00a0\u00bb?<\/h2>\n
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2. When to plant<\/h2>\n
Temperate climate<\/h3>\n
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Subtropical and tropical climate<\/h3>\n
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3. Prepare the bed<\/h2>\n
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4. Three ways to start<\/h2>\n
Option 1, From seed<\/h3>\n
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Option 2, From sets or seedlings<\/h3>\n
Option 3, Regrow from kitchen scraps<\/h3>\n
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5. Care during growth<\/h2>\n
Watering<\/h3>\n
Feeding<\/h3>\n
Weeding<\/h3>\n
Pests and diseases<\/h3>\n
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6. Harvest<\/h2>\n
For bunching onions<\/h3>\n
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For young common onions (spring onions)<\/h3>\n
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7. Storage and preservation<\/h2>\n
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8. Yield and commercial potential<\/h2>\n
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\nFrequently asked questions<\/h2>\n
How long does it take to grow green onions from seed?<\/h3>\n
Can you grow green onions from kitchen scraps?<\/h3>\n
Do green onions come back every year?<\/h3>\n
What is the difference between green onions, scallions and spring onions?<\/h3>\n
How much sunlight do green onions need?<\/h3>\n