Vegetable · Allium
Scallions
Allium fistulosumScallions are the quickest, most forgiving allium in the patch, ready to pull as slim green wands long before a bulb onion has even sized up. They tolerate crowding and cool soil with equanimity, and a pinch of leaves can be snipped without pulling the whole plant. The one rule: keep the row weeded, since the grass-like seedlings compete poorly early on.
Sow depth
½ in
Spacing
1 in · rows 6 in
Sun
Full sun
Germination
7–14 days
Time to harvest
60–70 days
Difficulty
Easy
When to sow scallions
- Sow from about 3 weeks before your last expected frost until about 10 weeks after your last expected frost.
- Sow from about 11 weeks before the first expected autumn frost until about 6 weeks before the first expected autumn frost.
Direct sow in a shallow drill — scatter seed thinly, cover, and firm gently.Succession sow every few weeks for scallions all season long.Cool, moist soil gives the fastest, most even germination.
Weed by hand early — the thin seedlings are easily smothered by faster growers.Water regularly so stems stay tender rather than fibrous.A light feed halfway through growth keeps leaves dark green and vigorous.
Pull as needed — harvest once stems reach pencil thickness.Loosen soil gently with a fork before pulling to avoid snapping stems.Leave neighboring plants undisturbed; they will size up for later picking.
Companion plants
Keep fromBeansPeas
The oniony scent of scallions confuses carrot fly and aphids hunting neighboring crops by smell.
Watch out for
Onion thrips — Tiny pale flecks on leaves signal thrips feeding in dry, hot spells. Overhead water to raise humidity and knock them back.