Scallions
A medicinal plant in cooking
Scallions originate from Asia, where they have been cultivated for over five thousand years. It is often mentioned in Chinese herbal books. Scallions were believed to help with colds, sore throats, flu and respiratory problems.
Direct sow or pre-grow spring onions
- Direct sowing spring onions outdoors
Scallions can be sown in the country in spring as soon as the soil clears. The seedlings will be small. A spacing of 1-2 cm and a row spacing of 10-30 cm is therefore sufficient. Scallions can also be sown in small groups of 3-5 seeds.
We sow scallions in batches until mid-July. Every two weeks or so is a good time to start a new sowing. Then it is possible to harvest continuously until the first frost nights.
Scallions can also be sown in autumn in September. The seedlings that emerge in time will overwinter. The following spring, they get a little jump start on the season.
- Propagate spring onions indoors
Sow indoors from March-April. Place the seeds about 1cm deep in sowing soil. Once the seedlings have gained a little height, the leaves can be cut back to about 5 cm. This will make the plants more vigorous.
When the risk of frost is more or less over, it’s time to harden off the plants and set them out in the country. Scallions are a cold-resistant plant, but small plants grown indoors can be a little sensitive to frost.
Caring for scallions
Scallions thrive best in a sunny position with regular watering. Water regularly with fertiliser. Place grass cuttings or other organic material between the plants. This will retain moisture in the soil, smother the weeds and provide extra nutrition as they decompose.
Onions are generally a healthy and easy-to-grow plant. The onion fly is the only pest that can cause problems. Protect the onions with fibre cloth or co-grow with carrots. Carrot can repel the onion fly, while onion plants can repel the carrot fly. Undoubtedly a win-win. Other good co-cultivation plants for scallions are dill, lettuce, root vegetables and cabbage. However, it is said to do less well with beans and peas. Change the location every year – this reduces the risk of soil diseases.
To get white, tender stems, the soil should be mounded up a bit around the base of the onion. You can also dig a small trench to plant the bulbs in. Then top up with soil as the onion grows. But scallions have a mild flavour, so you can skip the cutting and eat them with a green stalk.
Scallions are very cold-resistant. Some varieties can even be overwintered.
Scallions in cooking
Scallions can be harvested from the time they are very tender until they approach the size of a leek. The smaller the plant, the milder the flavour. When harvesting, pull or dig up the plant so that the whole onion is included. Because scallions are cold hardy, they can be harvested well into late autumn.
Scallions contain vitamins A, C and K and many minerals such as calcium, iron and potassium. Both the white and green parts are eaten.
Scallions are great to eat raw. Chop them and sprinkle them on soups and sandwiches. Mix spring onions into green salad and potato salad. Or mix it into sauces and homemade pesto. Scallions are also delicious in cooked dishes. Try the onion stalks grilled, roasted in the oven or quick-fried with garlic, chilli and fresh ginger.
If you don’t eat the bottom part of the onion, you can plant it in a pot with soil. Then a new spring onion will grow up!
Author: Johanna Damm
Fact-checked by Erik Hoekstra
Last updated 2022-10-14