Plant & grow spring onions successfully

Winter hedge onions are undemanding vegetables and provide fresh spring onions for years to come. We give tips on growing and planting spring onions.

Actually, in no garden should the healthy spring onion (Allium fistulosum) are absent for a very simple reason: it is a very undemanding vegetable crop, requires little maintenance and you can have fresh and tasty spring onions throughout the gardening season to harvest. Also known as the winter hedge onion, the hardy perennial onion plant (Allioideae) can even be sown in autumn. We give tips on sowing and planting spring onions.

Plant spring onions: the right location

In addition to the light supply, the nature of the earth is not unimportant. The ideal location for winter hedge onions is in full sun on loose, well-drained and humus-rich soil. The spring onion does not tolerate heavy clay soil with a tendency to waterlogging or very sandy substrates due to the excessive or low water storage. Difficult soils can be solved with a good quality potting soil like ours

Plantura organic universal soil, to be upgraded to allow the cultivation of Winter Hedge Bulbs. Our completely peat-free substrates are produced in Germany in a climate-friendly manner and thus make a contribution to sustainable gardening. The high compost content also promotes microorganisms and contributes to improving the soil structure in the long term. The spring onion develops particularly well in an optimal location and temperatures of around 18 °C.

Spring onions can also be grown in the right location on the balcony in a bucket or planter. A suitable pot for spring onions should hold around 10 liters of soil and be filled with nutrient-rich potting soil, preferably organic. You can also plant the spring onions on the raised bed. A selection of different Spring Onion Varieties for cultivation in beds and tubs can be found in our special article.

Sow and plant spring onions

The time for sowing spring onions is very variable. Theoretically it can be done between March and July as well as in autumn as winter sowing. At temperatures of 15 to 20 °C, germination takes place after 14 to 28 days on average. In open ground, winter hedge onions are sown in rows or double rows with a row spacing of 30 to 40 cm. The sowing depth is about 1 to 2 cm. When sowing the spring onions, use enough seeds to be able to separate the plants 2.5 cm apart in the row later.

For a very early harvest or as a winter culture, the small seedlings are brought forward on a bright window sill and later planted out. Plastic multiplates, which consist of many small pots, are best suited for this. The benefit of this is that each spring onion is already growing in its own little pot. This prevents different plant roots from growing together. A nutrient-poor growing substrate is ideal for the seeds of the winter hedge onion, as it promotes root formation. After a cultivation period of about four weeks, the pre-grown plants are planted in the bed at a distance of 2.5 cm. The young plants should be planted so deep in the ground that the leaf base remains uncovered.

Due to the long germination period, especially when sowing early outdoors when the soil temperatures are still low, it is advisable to sow a so-called marker seed. This means plants with rapid germination and growth, which, so to speak, mark the spot where the future spring onions will sprout. You can therefore continue to remove weeds and tend beds without fear of the spring onion seeds being raked in. Suitable as marker seeds radish (Raphanus sativus), cress (Lepidium sativum) and spinach (Spinacia oleracea). These are simply mixed with the spring onion seeds and sown together.

At a glance: Sowing and planting spring onions

• Pre-cultivation of young plants for early harvest and as winter culture.
• Direct sowing between March and July in the bed.
• Pre-cultivation of spring onions at 15 – 20 °C and approx. 1 – 2 cm sowing depth.
• Germination of winter onion seeds after 14 to 28 days.
• After four weeks of cultivation, plant the seedlings in the bed to just below the leaf base.

tip: Growing spring onions in double rows is particularly beneficial on small ridges. For this, two rows are laid out with a distance of 5 cm; the distance to the next double row should then be between 30 and 40 cm.

Grow spring onions with onion sets

Instead of just sowing, winter hedge onions can also be propagated using onion sets. The perennial bulb plants will develop several, smaller daughter bulbs over time if they are not fully harvested as spring onions. By dividing the vines in autumn, you can multiply the spring onions without much effort.

Regrow spring onions

Spring onions have a high regenerative capacity - they can sprout again after severe pruning if the plant's growth center is preserved. This sits at the foot of the plant a few centimeters above the root base. If rooted spring onions are cut back to 3 to 5 cm of the elongated bulb, they can form a new leek plant. details on the subject Regrowing of vegetables Find out in our special article.

Spring onions in mixed culture

A mixed culture of spring onions can keep diseases and pests away when combined with good neighbors. The mixed culture also ensures that the initially bare soil is protected from soil erosion. A good neighbor for spring onions is therefore the carrot (Daucus carota), but also other umbellifers (Apiaceae) such as parsnips (Pastinaca sativa) or parsley (Petroselinum crispum). They hold the onion fly (Delia antiqua) away and at the same time benefit from the fact that the spring onion attracts the carrot fly (Psila rosae) distributes. Leafy greens like lettuce (Lactuca sativa), Lamb's lettuce (Valerianella locusta) and spinach also go well with spring onions. Also strawberries (Fragaria) are good planting partners for spring onions.

Lepidoptera (Fabaceae) such as bush beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) and peas (Pisum sativum), and also cabbage plants (Brassicaceae). These should not be planted with spring onions as they have similar space and soil requirements and therefore compete for light, water and nutrients.

After planting, you only need a little patience until it's time Harvesting and storing spring onions goes. With us you will learn everything about the time of harvest, the procedure and the optimal storage conditions.