Calibrated to Pick your zone and the dates re-calibrate.

The Guide Crops Vol. 003

Spring Onion / Scallion

in Zone 6, this week

A spring onion, also called a scallion or green onion, is a young onion you eat whole: the long white base and the green tops. You harvest it before it makes a round bulb, so it grows fast and is easy. Some kinds (called bunching onions) never make a bulb at all, and you can also just sow regular onions close together and pull them young as scallions. Plant the seeds shallow, thin the seedlings to about an inch apart, keep the soil damp, and they are usually ready in about 50 to 70 days, when the green tops are 6 to 8 inches tall. They handle cold well, so plant a short row every couple of weeks through the cool season for a steady supply, and nearly year-round where winters are mild. Spring onion, or scallion, is a fast cool-season allium grown for its slender white shank and green tops rather than a mature bulb. It is harvested young, before bulbing, so the day-length trigger that governs bulb onions is irrelevant here: you pull the plant while it is still a straight stem. Two routes give the same kitchen result, true bunching types (Allium fistulosum) that never form a bulb, or regular bulb onions (Allium cepa) sown thickly and pulled at the green stage. Sow seed shallowly, thin to about an inch, keep the soil evenly moist, and harvest in roughly 50 to 70 days when the tops stand 6 to 8 inches. Because the crop is quick and very cold hardy, sow a short row every two to three weeks through the cool season for a steady supply, year-round in mild regions.

Fig. 01 · Spring Onion / Scallion, mature Zone 6

Mature in

50-70d

from transplant

Sunlight

Full sun to partial shade

5-8 hrs daily

Water

Consistent

Spacing

1-2"

between plants

Soil pH

6-7

slightly acidic

Today · in your zone

What's happening right now

July 24 · Zone 6 · Stage 01 · Germination & Emergence

Off-season for spring onion / scallion in zone 6.

The season at a glance

Planting calendar

In Zone 6, spring onion / scallion can be planted March through September. Harvest runs May through November.

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

plant

too cold

plant

too late

too cold

harvest

indoors

plant out

harvest

Above-ground cropBest planted on a none moon

Seasoned

Stagger your sowings

Succession planting

Instead of planting all your scallions at once, sow a short row every couple of weeks. That way they are ready a few at a time over many weeks. In places with cool summers, plant spring through fall. In hot places, grow them fall through spring and skip the summer heat. Where winters are mild, you can plant nearly all year.Scallions are a natural succession crop: sow a short row every two to three weeks through the cool season rather than one big planting, so they mature in sequence and none over-mature. In cool-summer regions that means spring through fall; in hot-summer regions it means fall through spring, skipping peak summer heat; in mild regions it runs nearly year-round. The number of sowings is set by the length of your cool window, not a fixed cap.

Every 2 weeks · sow a short new rowUp to 12 sowings a seasonToo hot to sow midsummer

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

sow

harvest

keep sowing

too hot

continuous harvest

The season, mapped

Seed to garden

There are three easy ways. The simplest is to sow seed right in the garden, a quarter to a half inch deep, then thin the seedlings to about one per inch. Or start seeds indoors about four weeks before planting out for an earlier harvest, then set the little plants an inch apart. The tidiest way is to multisow: drop a small pinch of about six to ten seeds into each cell, let them grow as a little clump, and plant the whole clump out without splitting it, about four to six inches from the next one. Because you eat scallions in bunches anyway, there is nothing to thin, and you just pull the biggest few from each clump and let the rest keep growing. Bunching kinds can also be split from an existing clump.Three easy routes. Direct-sow seed in a two-inch-wide band, a quarter to a half inch deep, in rows 12 to 18 inches apart, then thin to about one plant per inch (UMN); this is the simplest method and suits succession sowing. Or start seed indoors about four weeks before set-out for an earlier first cutting, transplanting seedlings an inch apart. The tidiest indoor route is to multisow: sow a pinch of about six to ten seeds per cell, grow the cluster on undivided, and set the whole clump out without separating it, spacing clumps four to six inches apart; scallions are pulled as a bunch, so there is no thinning, and you take the biggest from each clump first and let the rest size up (RHS). Bunching types can also be multiplied by dividing established clumps.

01

Sow outside

Mar - Sep
02

First harvest

From May 10

50-70 days from sowing

Start method

Both

Soil temp

50-75°F

From seed to fruit

The growing journey

Stage 01 · Germination & Emergence

Germination & Emergence

Days 7-21 · current stage

Look for thin, grass-like shoots coming up, each starting bent over in a little loop like a hairpin, then standing straight. Scallions sprout slowly and not all at once, so do not worry if they come up over a week or two.Thin, looped seed leaves push up bent like a hairpin, then straighten into the first slender tubes. Alliums germinate slowly and unevenly over a wide soil range (about 50 to 75 °F), so a sparse, gradual stand over a week or two is normal.

Keep the top of the soil damp so the tiny seeds do not dry out while sprouting, and pull weeds early, because young scallions lose out to weeds easily. If you planted young plants instead of seeds, you can skip this stage.Keep the surface evenly moist so the fine seed never dries mid-germination, and keep the bed weed-free from the start; allium seedlings are weak competitors. If you set transplants instead, this stage is already behind you.

FROM PLANT · Plant scallion seeds shallow, a quarter to a half inch deep, in a little two-inch-wide band, and keep the soil damp until they sprout.Sow scallion seed shallowly, a quarter to a half inch deep, in a two-inch-wide band so the seedlings support each other, and keep the surface evenly moist until they emerge (UMN).

Leaf Development

Days 21-45

The plants grow more and more upright green leaves, and the white bottom gets longer and a little thicker. Steady growth now is what makes nice tender scallions, so keep them watered and weeded.Upright tubular leaves stack up one after another and the white shank lengthens and slowly thickens. Steady, uninterrupted growth here is what makes tender, full-flavored tops; a drought or weed check thins and toughens them.

Thin the seedlings to about one per inch so they are not crowded, keep the soil evenly moist, and pull weeds. If the soil is poor, a little fertilizer helps.Thin to about one plant per inch before the seedlings crowd, hold moisture steady, and stay on top of weeds. A light side-dress of nitrogen helps lean soil.

FROM PLANT · Thin the little seedlings to about one per inch after they come up. Crowded scallions stay skinny, so give them room.Thin seedlings to about one plant per inch once they are up; crowded scallions stay thin and tough, while thinned plants make clean, pencil-thick shanks.

Established

Days 40-60

Strong upright tops about 6 inches or taller, with a white bottom about as thick as a pencil. Bunching kinds make a little clump of several stems. They are getting close to ready.Sturdy upright tops 6 inches and taller with a clean, pencil-thick white shank. Bunching types form a clump of several shoots; the planting is approaching usable size and will hold a while in cool weather.

Keep watering, and start pulling the biggest ones as you need them, which gives the others room. Sow your next short row now for a steady supply.Keep moisture even and begin pulling the largest plants as you need them; harvesting thins the stand and lets the rest size up. Sow the next short succession now if you have not.

FROM PLANT · Plant a short new row every couple of weeks instead of all at once, so you get scallions a few at a time over many weeks.Sow a short row every two to three weeks through the cool season instead of one big planting, so scallions mature in sequence and none over-mature waiting to be pulled.

Harvest

Days 50-75

Green tops 6 to 8 inches tall and a white bottom about as thick as a pencil, still straight with no round bulb. Pick them before a bulb forms or before they shoot up a flower stalk in heat.Tops 6 to 8 inches, shank pencil-thick to about half an inch, base still straight and unswollen. Pull or cut before a bulb forms and before summer heat or long-held plants push a hollow flower stalk.

Pull the whole plant, or with bunching kinds cut the tops about an inch above the soil so they grow back. Younger is milder, and do not let them get old and woody.Lift whole plants, or cut bunching types about an inch above the crown to let them regrow. Harvest on the young side for mildness; do not let plants over-mature or bolt.

FROM PLANT · Pick scallions when the green tops are 6 to 8 inches tall. Pull the whole plant, or with bunching kinds cut the tops about an inch above the soil so they grow back.Harvest scallions when the tops reach 6 to 8 inches; lift whole plants, or cut bunching types about an inch above the crown to let them regrow for a second cutting (Clemson).

Beginner

Know your soil

Your soil

Identify yours

Not sure what soil you have? Grab a small handful of damp soil from your garden bed and squeeze it. If it crumbles apart easily, it's sandy. If it holds together but breaks when you poke it, it's loam (what most vegetables want). If it stays in a hard, slippery ball, it's clay.

What this crop wants

Scallions like loose, rich, well-drained soil. Mix in compost before you plant. They do not do well in heavy clay or in soil that crusts over, because their roots stay shallow and need air and steady moisture near the surface.

If your soil doesn't match

You have sandy soil

Mix 2-3 inches of compost into the top 6 inches of your bed before planting. Compost holds moisture (which sandy soil drains too fast) and adds the nutrients sandy soil tends to lack. Repeat each season. Compost breaks down over time.

You have clay soil

Mix 2-3 inches of compost AND a few inches of coarse sand or perlite into the top 6 inches of your bed. The compost feeds the plants; the sand breaks up the clay so air and water can move through. Don't add sand without compost. It can compact like concrete.

Containers and raised beds

If amending your soil sounds like too much work, or if your soil is heavy clay, full of rocks, or contaminated, build over it. A raised bed at least 12 inches deep filled with a 50/50 mix of compost and sandy loam gives you ideal growing soil with no battles. A 5-gallon container with quality potting mix does the same for one plant at a time. Both bypass your native soil entirely.

Learn more about your soil

The specs

Care guide

The numbers that matter, at a glance.

Sunlight

Full sun to partial shade · 5-8 hrs/day

Water

consistent

Spacing

1-2 inches

Soil

loam, sandy loam

Days to maturity

50-70 days from transplant

Soil pH

6 to 7

Container OK?

Yes · 1+ gal pot

Germination temp

50-75°F

Soil chemistry

Soil pH for spring onion / scallion

Preferred

6 to 7

Tolerated

6 to 7.5

Scallions like soil close to neutral, about pH 6.0 to 7.0. Clemson lists an ideal of 6.2 to 6.5. They do not like sour (acidic) soil; a simple soil test takes the guesswork out of it.Scallions grow best near neutral, roughly pH 6.0 to 7.0, with Clemson giving an ideal band of 6.2 to 6.5. They tolerate up to about 7.5 and dislike acid soil; confirm with a soil test before adjusting.

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Steady hand on the hose

Watering

When & how much

Frequency

Water scallions so the soil stays evenly moist the whole time they grow. Their roots are shallow, so dry spells slow them down and make the tops tough. If it does not rain about an inch a week, give the bed a good soak once a week.Keep the soil consistently moist through the whole short crop; scallions have small, shallow roots and any drought check slows growth and toughens the tops. If rain does not supply about an inch a week, soak the bed thoroughly once a week.

Amount

About an inch of water a week is a good target, and more in hot, dry weather. Steady is better than a flood one week and nothing the next.Aim for roughly an inch of water per week from rain plus irrigation, more in heat or sandy soil, delivered steadily rather than in swings.

Method

Water the soil at the base of the plants, not over the leaves. Keeping the tops dry helps prevent disease.Water at the base with drip or a soaker to keep the foliage dry; wet tops invite leaf and neck diseases.

Signs of trouble

Too much water

If the soil stays soggy and the bottoms of the plants turn yellow and soft, that is too much water. Sitting in wet soil makes scallions rot.Waterlogged soil and yellowing, mushy bases signal overwatering; standing moisture around the shank encourages basal and neck rots.

Too little water

Wilting, bluish, or brown-tipped leaves mean the scallions are too dry. Plants that do not get enough water stay thin and taste sharper.Bluish, wilting, or tip-burned leaves and stalled growth indicate the plants are short of water; under-watered scallions stay thin and turn sharply pungent.

Feeding rhythm

Feeding

Frequency

Light feeding during leaf growth

Type

Balanced, moderate nitrogen

When to start

Work in compost or a balanced feed before planting, then side-dress lightly as the tops grow

Scallions do not need much feeding. Mix some compost or a balanced fertilizer into the soil before you plant, then give a light feeding once or twice while the tops are growing if the soil is poor. Do not overdo the nitrogen, or you get floppy, weak tops.Scallions are light-to-moderate feeders. Unlike bulb onions there is no bulb to size, so feeding aims only at steady, tender leaf growth. Mix a balanced fertilizer into the bed before sowing, around 9 pounds of 10-10-10 per 1,000 square feet per Clemson, and side-dress lightly once or twice during leaf growth if the soil is lean. Avoid heavy nitrogen, which makes floppy, disease-prone tops.

N · P · K = 10-10-10

Mix a balanced fertilizer into the soil before planting; feed lightly later only if the plants look pale or slow.A balanced feed worked in before planting carries scallions through; side-dress lightly only if growth stalls.

Try compost plus a balanced 10-10-10 vegetable fertilizer

Who grows well together

Companion planting

Scallions are good neighbors for carrots, beets, lettuce, and cabbage-family plants, mostly because their strong smell is thought to keep some pests away, and they are small enough to slip between other crops. The main thing to avoid is planting them next to beans or peas, since onions can slow those down. These are helpful traditions, not sure things, so do not worry if your garden does a little differently. Scallions earn their companion reputation mostly through their allium scent, traditionally credited with deterring aphids and the carrot rust fly, so they pair well with carrots, beets, lettuce, and brassicas, and tuck neatly between slower crops. The one firm caution is the legume conflict: alliums are widely held to inhibit beans and peas, so keep scallions away from them. Most of these claims are traditional rather than trial-proven; treat them as low-risk suggestions, not guarantees.

Other

Carrots

Scallions and carrots are a classic garden pair. Their strong smell is said to help hide carrots from the carrot rust fly, and the two plants do not crowd each other's roots.Carrots and scallions are the textbook reciprocal pairing. Your scallions' sulfur scent helps mask the carrots from the carrot rust fly, and in return carrots interplanted with scallions tend to carry less scallion thrips damage, so each crop disrupts the other's main pest. Intercropping trials have measured real reductions in carrot fly where the two grow together. Plant in alternating rows with enough scallion density for the scent-masking to register, and note the strongest results come from small mixed plantings rather than large solid blocks. Research-backed

Beets

Beets and scallions grow well side by side. They like the same cool weather and stay out of each other's way.Beets and scallions share a bed comfortably. The onion's pungency helps deter pests that bother beets, and because scallions shank shallowly with sparse upright foliage while beets put their energy into a single root, the two do not crowd each other above or below ground. This is mostly a good-neighbor, efficient-space pairing with a modest pest-repel bonus. Traditional

Lettuce

Fast little lettuce plants fit nicely in the gaps between scallions and like the same cool season, so you get two crops from one spot.Lettuce and scallions interplant efficiently. Lettuce is shallow-rooted and quick while scallions send a narrow shank down with little leafy spread, so they occupy different space and the lettuce fills in between scallion rows. The scallion scent offers a little aphid deterrence over the lettuce as a bonus. Treat it as a space-and-timing pairing first, mild pest help second. Traditional

Brassicas (cabbage, broccoli)

Cabbage and broccoli like the same cool weather as scallions, and the strong scallion smell is thought to bother some of their pests.Scallions are a well-supported brassica companion. Their sulfur scent helps mask the cabbage family and deter its signature pests, cabbage loopers, worms, and root maggots, and extension trial work including scallion in a mix with broccoli showed reduced caterpillar damage. Alliums are shallow and undemanding, so they tuck between brassicas without competing for the heavy feeding those crops want. Research-backed

Provenance tagged inline · see methodology for the labeling system Key

Harvest signals

When to pick

Your scallions are ready when the green tops are about 6 to 8 inches tall and the white bottom is roughly as thick as a pencil. Do not wait for a round bulb to form, pull them while the base is still straight. Lift the whole plant, or with bunching types snip the tops about an inch above the soil and let them grow back. Smaller ones taste milder, bigger ones are a little stronger.Pull scallions once the green tops reach about 6 to 8 inches and the white shank is roughly pencil thick. There is no need to wait for a bulb: harvest at the straight-stem stage, before the base swells. Lift the whole plant, or cut bunching types about an inch above the crown and let them regrow. Younger is milder, so harvest on the small side for salads and a bit larger for cooking.

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Yield

What to expect

Each regular onion plant gives one scallion when pulled young, while bunching kinds grow back after you cut them, so you keep harvesting from the same clump.One scallion per plant for bulb-onion types pulled young; bunching types regrow after cutting for repeat harvests. A densely sown foot of row yields a generous handful.

If you sow a little at a time, you get scallions steadily for weeks instead of all at once, and bunching clumps keep producing.With succession sowing the harvest is continuous through the cool season rather than a single flush; bunching clumps deliver over many weeks. The two things that matter most for good scallions are thinning them to about an inch apart and keeping the soil evenly moist.Thinning to about an inch and keeping steady moisture are the biggest levers on tender, pencil-thick shanks in the first crop.

What changes yield

thinning to about an inchsteady moisturesuccession sowingharvesting before over-maturitycool-season timing

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Pick your variety

Recommended varieties

There are two kinds. Bunching onions like Evergreen Hardy White or Tokyo Long White never make a bulb, grow back after cutting, and many survive winter, so they are great for a patch you keep cutting. Regular onions like White Lisbon, sown close together and pulled young, give a fast scallion but you pull the whole plant once. Either works for the kitchen.Choose between two habits. True bunching types (Allium fistulosum) such as Evergreen Hardy White, Tokyo Long White, Beltsville Bunching, and Parade never form a bulb and many are perennial and very cold hardy, ideal for cut-and-come-again clumps. Regular bulb onions sown thickly and pulled young, such as White Lisbon, give a quick straight scallion but are pulled once, not divided. Clemson names Beltsville Bunching and Evergreen Bunching among types bred specifically for green-onion use.

Evergreen Hardy White

very cold-hardy bunching

White Lisbon

fast spring scallion

Tokyo Long White

long-shank bunching

Beltsville Bunching

heat and drought tolerant

Parade

uniform non-bulbing

Off the vine

Storing your harvest

Room temp

Scallions do not keep on the counter, they go limp within a day. Pick them close to when you will use them, or put them in the fridge right away.Scallions are not a room-temperature storage crop; they wilt within a day or two on the counter. Harvest close to use, or refrigerate promptly.

Fridge

Keep scallions in a plastic bag in the fridge, or stand them in a glass with a little water. They last about one to two weeks.Stand trimmed scallions in a little water or wrap them in a damp towel in a plastic bag in the crisper; they hold about one to two weeks (Clemson).

Freezer

You can chop scallions and freeze them for cooking. They go soft after thawing, so use them in cooked food, not raw in salads.Scallions freeze well chopped; texture softens, so use frozen scallion in cooked dishes rather than raw.

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From the garden to the kitchen

Recipes to try

Salads

Cucumber & Dill Summer Salad

Salads · 10m · Serves 4

BBQ & Grill

Grilled Chicken with Fresh Garden Salsa

BBQ & Grill · 40m · Serves 4

BBQ & Grill

Bell Pepper & Steak Skewers

BBQ & Grill · 32m · Serves 4

More recipes

arriving with the harvest

When something goes wrong

Common problems

01 of 03

02 of 03

03 of 03

The usual suspects

Pests & diseases

Pests

Onion thrips

P · 01

Cause A tiny insect called onion thrips. It multiplies fast in warm, dry weather and hides in the tight folds of the leaves.Onion thrips (Thrips tabaci) build through warm, dry spells, sheltering in the leaf axils where sprays miss them.

Onion maggot

P · 02

Cause The larvae (maggots) of a small fly that lays eggs at the base of the plants. They survive in leftover onion debris.Larvae of the onion maggot fly (Delia antiqua), whose eggs are laid at the plant base; populations carry over in allium residue.

Allium leafminer

P · 03

Cause A small fly whose grubs tunnel inside allium leaves. It is active in spring and fall.The allium leafminer (Phytomyza gymnostoma), active in spring and fall, lays eggs in the leaves; larvae mine down toward the base.

Diseases

Botrytis neck rot

D · 01

Cause A mold that gets into wet, crowded leaves. Watering over the top and too much fertilizer make it worse.Botrytis infection of wet, crowded foliage; overhead watering and excess nitrogen worsen it.

Fusarium basal rot

D · 02

Cause A soil fungus that stays in the ground for years and likes warm soil. Injuries and insect damage let it in.Soilborne Fusarium that persists for years and is favored by warm soil; wounds and maggot damage open the door.

White rot

D · 03

Cause A soil fungus whose tough resting bodies survive in the ground for many years. Cool, damp conditions make it worse.The soilborne fungus Sclerotium cepivorum, whose sclerotia survive in soil for many years; cool, moist conditions favor it.

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Seasoned

Where to plant next year

Crop rotation

Scallions do well planted after leafy greens or beans and peas. Just do not plant beans or peas right next to scallions, since onions can slow those down.Scallions follow well after a leafy or legume crop and pair poorly before beans and peas, which alliums tend to inhibit.

Family

Allium

Years between

3 years

in the same bed

Avoid following

Do not plant scallions where you grew onions, garlic, or leeks recently. Some allium diseases live in the soil and build up. Wait at least 3 years before growing alliums in the same spot again.Avoid following onions or other alliums (garlic, leeks, shallots) in the same ground; allium diseases such as pink root and white rot persist in soil. A home garden can target at least 3 years between allium crops.

Plant after

leafy greens or legumes

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In the app · pre-launch

When plant taps you on the shoulder

The plant app sends a timely reminder at every critical moment of your spring onion / scallion season. The wording adjusts to whichever you pick: beginner or seasoned. Here are three you'll see in Zone 6.

plant

2 weeks before last frost

Time to plant scallions

Plant scallion seeds outside as soon as you can work the soil. They handle cold, so you do not need to wait for warm weather. Plant shallow and thin them later to about an inch apart.

plant

2 weeks after last sowing

Plant more scallions

Plant another short row of scallions now, a couple of weeks after the last one, so you always have some coming along.

plant

8 weeks after sowing

Check your scallions

About 50 to 70 days after planting, start picking scallions when the tops are 6 to 8 inches tall. Pull the biggest ones first to give the others room.

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Seasoned

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If you've grown this crop and you see a date, a temperature, a companion claim, or a recommendation that doesn't match your experience, tell us. Real growers' corrections make this guide better for the next person.

How we built this guide

Methodology & sources

Every date, temperature, spacing, and recommendation on this page is sourced from university cooperative extension publications, peer-reviewed agricultural research, NOAA climate data, and direct extension calendars. Where claims are softer (traditional gardening wisdom not formally documented), we say so.

Research-backed Documented in cooperative extension publications or peer-reviewed research

Well-grounded A known agronomic principle, but not formally tested for this specific pair

Traditional Time-tested gardening wisdom, limited formal research support

Last reviewed

June 30, 2026

Data version

crops_data_final · v1.0 · schema 2.9

Sources cited on this page

16 publications

Verified entries

Companion-planting claims tagged inline · zone dates verified against 5+ extensions

See all sources cited on this page

University of Minnesota Extension umn_ext
University of Maryland Extension umd_ext
Cornell Cooperative Extension cornell_ext
Iowa State University Extension iastate_ext
Michigan State University Extension msu_ext
NC State Extension ncsu_ext
Penn State Extension psu_ext
U. of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Extension uiuc_ext
UC Davis Postharvest Center ucd_postharvest
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension tamu_agrilife
Virginia Cooperative Extension 426-331 vce_426_331
Piedmont Master Gardeners piedmont_mg
UGA Vegetable Garden Calendar uga_calendar
Clemson Home & Garden Information Center clemson_hgic
UC IPM Statewide IPM Program uc_ipm
NOAA 1991-2020 Climate Normals noaa_normals

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