How to Grow Scallion
Scallion At a Glance
Difficulty
Easy
Category
Vegetable
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Frost Tolerance
Frost Hardy
Cold Hardiness
Survives to -12°C
Plant Family
Amaryllidaceae
Growing Season
Cool Season
Plant Lifecycle
Annual
How to Start It
★ Recommended for beginners
Scallions handle frost, so sow them about 4 weeks before your last spring frost, and again every 2 to 3 weeks until midsummer. Sow the seeds thickly 1 cm deep in a short row, about 3 cm apart, and cover them. They sprout in 7 to 14 days, look like fine grass at first, and need little or no thinning.
Scallions, also called green onions, are picked young before they make a bulb, so they are one of the quickest, easiest crops. They take up little room, so tuck them between slower crops or along the edge of a bed or pot.
When To Start
Scallion likes cool weather. Sow it in early spring, as soon as the ground can be worked.
We do not have exact sowing dates for this one yet.
When should you plant Scallion?
Your planting dates depend on your local climate. Sign up and add your location to unlock personalized dates.
Your Scallion Planting Window
Start planting
May 15, 2026
Last chance
Sep 10, 2026
Your Scallion Calendar
Set your location to turn these into exact dates and reminders.
Sow scallions outdoors, then again every few weeks
4 weeks before your last frost
Start pulling scallions once they are pencil thick
About 60 days after you plant it
Did you water your scallion seedlings today? Keep the top of the soil damp until they are up and growing.
About 1 days after you plant it
Time to thin the scallion seedlings: snip the extras at soil level so each one has room to grow.
About 24 days after you plant it
Your scallions are coming up! Keep the weeds pulled, since their thin leaves cannot shade weeds out.
About 34 days after you plant it
Your scallions are nearly ready! Pull them any time once they are about as thick as a pencil.
About 54 days after you plant it
Picking time may be here: check your scallion.
About 60 days after you plant it
The Journey Ahead
Scallion's Lifecycle
Seedling
Mature Plant
Seed Production
Step 2
Planting & Sprouting
Expect sprouts in 7–14 days
Growing Tips
- 1Grow scallions in full sun, though they cope with a little shade.
- 2Mix compost into the soil before sowing so the stems grow thick and tender.
- 3Water often enough to keep the soil damp, since their short roots dry out fast.
- 4Water with compost tea once a month to keep them growing strong.
- 5Pull weeds by hand while the seedlings are small, since their thin leaves cannot shade weeds out.
- 6If small white maggots tunnel into the roots, grow the next sowing in a new spot under row cover.
Seedling Phase
Step 3
Growth & Maturity
~60
Days to Maturity
35 cm
Mature Height
3 cm
Mature Width
Pests to Watch For
Diseases to Watch For
Mature Plant
Step 4
Harvesting
Harvest Window
30 days
When to Pick
Pull anytime once pencil-thick, ~60 days from sowing
How to Harvest
- 1Start pulling scallions about 60 days after sowing, once they are about as thick as a pencil.
- 2Loosen the soil with a fork first so they slide out without snapping.
- 3You can also snip the green tops 3 cm above the soil and let them regrow a couple of times.
- 4Pull the biggest ones first, and the smaller ones keep growing.
- 5Keep them unwashed in a bag in the fridge for up to a week, or stand them in a glass of water on the counter.
Step 5
Saving Seeds
How to Save Seeds
Most scallions are bunching onions, which come back each year and flower in their second spring, so leave a few plants in the ground over winter. They cross with other bunching onions, so let only one variety flower at a time, and remember hybrid F1 seeds will not grow true. When the round flower heads dry and you can see black seeds in them, snip the heads into a paper bag and let them finish drying. Shake out the seeds, pick out the bits of husk, and store them labelled in a cool, dark, dry place. Sow them within 1 to 2 years, since onion seeds do not keep long.
Seed Production
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