How To Sow Spring Onions
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- I grow my spring onions in clumps.
- I sow 10 seeds per module 1cm deep March – August on a Sunny Windowsill or in a Greenhouse at 3 weekly intervals for a steady supply. For an early Spring crop, sow seeds in September and overwinter in a greenhouse or under cloche ( I find Lisbon spring onions are the best for overwintering)
- Plant out seedlings once they are a couple of inches tall and all risk of frost has passed. *Indoor raised seedlings must be hardened off first
What Does Hardening Off Mean?
Plants raised indoors or in a greenhouse environment, need to be acclimatised to cooler temperatures and increased air movement for about two to three weeks before they are planted outdoors permanently . This is a ‘toughening up’ practice to prepare the plants for their new environment.
How to Harden Off
Place your plants out for a couple of hours in a shady part of the garden. The next day, leave them out again for two hours, but this time allow the plants an hour of direct sunshine in the morning. Gradually continue to increase the length of time the plants are in direct sunshine over the course of roughly two weeks
Shallow Root System
Spring onions have a very shallow root system, which is why they can tolerate group planting without detriment to growth. Planting in clumps also maximises on space, why grow one in a space where you can grow 10?
How To Grow Spring Onions
Spring Onions take as little as 8 weeks from seed to harvest. A quick crop, easy to grow, high yields…a perfect starter vegetable if your new to growing you’re own food.
Filler Crop
They are also a fantastic filler crop, they take up such little space, you can squeeze them in-between other slower growing vegetables.
How To Harvest Spring Onions
Around eight weeks after sowing, pull the clumps of Spring Onions From the ground, shake off the dirt and separate the onions.
Which Spring Onion Variety to grow?
White Lisbon
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I have a couple of favourites. White Lisbon is the most traditional and popular variety to grow, with long white stems and bright green tops and silvery white skin, the Lisbon is a perfect, easy to grow salad onion. It has a delicious, mild onion flavour when young and takes on a slightly pungent taste as it matures.
Lillia Spring Onions
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Lilia Spring Onions with their beautiful shiny rich red bulb and slender green leaves, this Italian variety, has an intense pungent flavour, perfect for summer salads. An Easy to grow, intensely delicious, quick crop Spring Onion.
Soil & water requirements
Plant out seedlings in well drained ground, be careful not to over water, a water logged soil can lead to rot.
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