Growing Your Own Fresh Green Onions

Green onions are great to have as a grocery essential. You can include these in stir fry, soups, or any meal you want to add a subtle onion flavor too. It also makes an excellent garnish and is perfect for adding a little color to any dish.

Green onions are very inexpensive, typically somewhere around one dollar for a bunch in grocery stores. However, this will still add up over time – every penny counts!

It’s extremely easy to set up and maintain a little kitchen countertop garden so you have an endless supply of green onions.

Green Onions vs. Scallions

Scallions and green onions are actually the exact same thing! They are long, green, tube-like onions that grow in layers and transition to a white color near the roots. The taste is similar to that of your standard white onion, but it is a bit more mild, making them perfect for garnishes and subtle flavor additions.

Spring onions, on the other hand, look similar but actually are a bit different. The key difference is at the bottom of the onion – the bulb. Spring onions are much more round and large at the base of the onion, whereas scallions are relatively even from the base of the stem to the roots.

Growing Green Onions from Cuttings

The easiest way to grow green onions is to start with a bunch or two that are already grown. You can get these from just about any grocery store or maybe even from a friend that has bought some recently.

Most often, the bunches of green onions will come with roots on the bottom. This is important, of course, so make sure that you select green onions that have decent roots on them.

These clippings will simply continue to grow from where you cut them. Then, once they get tall enough you can cut them again, and repeat the process!

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Methods for Growing Green Onions

There are two simple techniques for growing green onions – in soil or in water. Each of them have their pros and cons of course.

How to Grow an Onion in Water (Hydroponic Green Onions)

Growing scallions hydroponically is a super easy way to get them started quickly in the kitchen. All you need is your green onion clippings, a cup, and some water. Just place your clippings in the cup and cover about an inch above the stem with water.

You’ll want to rinse off the roots and replace the water daily. If you want to go the extra mile and install a filtered water system where there is constant movement in the water, that’d be even better! This would prevent the water from becoming stagnant, which can cause the bases of the onions to smell and start to rot over time.

Growing Green Onions in Soil

Growing scallions in soil is also a very simple process, it just requires a couple more items. You’ll need your cuttings of course, potting soil, a small pot, and some water. Plant your green onions about 1 to 1.5 inches below the surface of the soil. Make sure to water them daily, and keep them in a pot with adequate drainage. 

Green onions are very hardy, so it is best to give them a decent amount of direct sunlight. However, we’ve had them grow very successfully in just about any condition.

Green Onion Growth Method	Pros	Cons
Grown in Water	*Easiest Setup *Less Mess *Quicker Initial Growth	*Can Smell Over Time *Slightly More Maintenance
Planted in Soil	*No Odor *Slightly Less Maintenance	*Requires More Items for Setup *Potentially Messier *Longer Wait to Reuse

Try the Veggums Mixed Method

We’ve had the most success combining both methods for growing scallions. Start them in water and they’ll grow rapidly. After about a week, transfer them to soil and let them settle in.

Harvesting Green Onions

The way to harvest green onions is the same way that you started them – just snip! Once your scallions have regenerated and grown to a reasonable height, you can snip them about 3 inches or so from the base and use what you’ve cut off. 

Place the remaining pieces with roots back into your water or soil and watch them grow again!

Repeat, Repeat, Repeat!

You should be able to get several sets of green onions out of each batch. You’ll eventually have to replace the parent onion if it is rotting or not growing as it used to. If that’s the case, you can simply purchase another bunch of green onions to add to your existing garden, or you could start from seed!

Do you have any expert tips for growing scallions? Let us know!