Green onions are a common element in Indian cuisine, bringing a mild onion flavour to stir-fries, soups, parathas, and chaats. Growing them at home guarantees a fresh supply, saves money, and reduces waste. Green onions grow quickly and require little space, making them excellent for urban gardens, balconies, and even windowsills.
Video Credit: EY-Gardening
Fresh green onions are ideal for garnishing soups, noodles, and dal. They can also be used to stuff parathas, mix into fried rice, or make chutneys. Their crisp flavour and brilliant green colour make them a key element in a variety of cuisines. Growing green onions at home is a satisfying experience that requires little work and resources.
Whether you have a garden or a little windowsill, you may enjoy the fresh taste of homegrown green onions all year. With appropriate care and a little patience, you'll have a consistent supply of this gourmet favourite right at your fingertips. Green onions grow well with carrots, lettuce, tomatoes, and beets. Their pungent odour helps prevent pests, making them a natural insect repellant in vegetable gardens. Green onions can be grown from seeds, sets, or leftover store-bought onions.
Also Read: Are Red Onions Healthier Than White Onions?
Growing From Seeds
Choose a pot that is at least 6 inches deep and has appropriate drainage. Use a combination of garden soil and compost to ensure nutrient availability. Green onions grow best in well-drained, loose soil. Plant seeds approximately ¼ inch deep and 1 inch apart. Apply a thin layer of soil. Gently moisten the soil to keep it moist but not saturated. Place the pot in a sunny area where it will receive at least 6 hours of sunshine per day. Once the seedlings have sprouted (typically in 7-14 days), thin them to leave a 2-3 inch gap between plants. To encourage growth, apply a balanced liquid fertiliser every two weeks.
Growing From Sets (bulbs)
Loosen the soil and add compost for nutrition. Place the bulbs 1 inch deep, pointed end up. Keep them 2-3 inches apart. Water sparingly after planting to help the soil settle around the bulbs. Green onion sets grow more quickly than seeds, and you can expect shoots within a week.
Regrowing From Kitchen Scraps
After you've used the green tips, save the white root ends. Fill a glass with water, then submerge the roots, leaving the tips visible. Place the glass on a windowsill that gets plenty of sunlight. To ensure freshness, change the water every two days. When the green shoots are 2-3 inches tall, transfer them into soil to continue growing.
Caring For The Green Onion Plant
Green onions enjoy evenly damp soil but abhor soggy circumstances. Check the soil on a regular basis and water it as needed. These plants thrive in full sun but can tolerate some shade. Keep a lookout for common pests such as aphids. Use natural therapies, such as neem oil spray, if necessary.
Remove weeds from around the plants to limit competition for nutrients and water. To promote healthy growth, lightly fertilise every few weeks with compost or liquid fertiliser. Common problems while growing green onions can be yellowing leaves which can be caused by overwatering or a lack of nutrients. The best way to deal with this is by using a balanced fertiliser and adjust the watering schedule.
The growth can also be slow due to insufficient sunshine. Just move the plant to a brighter spot, to fix this. Rotting roots can also be caused by poor drainage. Use appropriate drainage in containers and minimise overwatering to solve this.
Harvesting Green Onions
Green onions are ready to harvest in 6-8 weeks, when the shoots reach 6-8 inches in height. You may either: Cut the green tops just one inch above the soil. The plant will regenerate and yield several harvests. To get a full harvest, gently pluck out the entire plant, including the white bulb.
Regrowing Green Onions Indoors
Green onions can be regrown indoors several times using a glass of water. After harvesting, put the white ends in a tiny container with the roots immersed. Keep the container near a sunny window. Refresh the water on a daily basis, and harvest as needed. This approach produces fresh green onions without using soil, making it suitable for city people with little space.
Storing Green Onions
Freshly harvested green onions can be preserved in: In the refrigerator: Wrap them in a damp paper towel and store in a plastic bag. They can stay fresh for up to ten days. Put the roots in a glass of water and refrigerate. This will keep them sharp for a week. Green onions should be chopped and frozen for long-term storage before using them in cooked meals.