Growing Spring Onions Successfully

[Artisan]

As I am told that Spring Onions are easy to grow I am mystified why I find it hard to grow a decent Spring Onion. Having returned to vegetable gardening last year when I retired I tried to grow the onions but after many weeks all I had were little green tiddlers. This year I tried two methods. One was in conventional rows sowed directly in the bed and bunches sowed in modular seed trays which were then transplanted. Neither of the methods has been successful and I am left scratching my head as to why. The variety that I tried this and last year is White Lisbon.

Please can anyone tell what varieties they grow other than the White Lisbon and the secret to their success? I say secret because it must be as the successful growing of these onions is eluding me at the moment!

[Greenleaves]

I grow bunching onions, 10 seeds to a cell and grow in the greenhouse untill about 3" tall, plant and water well....

[Miss Mousetrousers]

Last year mine grew well. This year I had such poor germination from an un-opened packet so I too am a bit mystified. I'm going to sow some more when the weather cools down and see if that works.

[Artisan]

I grow bunching onions, 10 seeds to a cell and grow in the greenhouse untill about 3" tall, plant and water well....

Yes that is what I did. I must be hopeless at growing Spring Onions. All I have read on the internet states that they are easy and quick to grow. Noooo I don't think so!!!

Can anyone tell me what are the best varieties apart from White Lisbon?

[Chippy Minton]

Can't help, can't grow them, stoopid onions

[fishpond]

Grow them as already suggested in clumps of 5-10 in a clump.
As with most vegetables, if not all--- loads of manure and moist.
Do not waste your money on fertilizer, there is plenty of food for them in the manure.

[happyhumph]

They also do much better with really fresh seed

[bario1]

Darcy is a good one, it’s new. I scatter about 100 seeds over the surface of a supermarket mushroom pot full of good mpc, cover thinly with more compost and wait till they’re about 6” high. Then just break into clumps of about 10 and plant out. Works a treat for me!

[Snoop Puss]

Plus, they're never as quick as you think they're going to be. I sometimes think I could grow a bulb onion in the same time.

Cadalot is a spring onion expert. I've tried searching for all his photos and explanations on here but can't find them, the search facility being what it is. Have a look at his blog. In the column down the left-hand side under Labels, you'll see he's got 34 posts on spring onions.
Alans Allotment

[Bluenowhere]

Last year super easy in modules and direct sown. This year can’t grow them for love nor money.

[self-contained]

I'm glad it's not just me. I tried them for the first time this year and expected them to be easy, but they have proved anything but. Firstly, some rotten cat dug up all my seedlings, then the remainder just haven't done well. I sowed some as a catch crop with my beetroot but they were much slower growing than I had expected and now I have lots of lovely beetroot and no spring onions.

I'm currently thinning my leeks by using them as I would spring onions, so that's something. However, I have just bought three types of bunching onion seeds in the hope that they will just keep going as perennials once I get a few past the first few hurdles.

[Jimmy]

My chives, which I guess are similar have all gone to seed and down the rows are thousands of little seedlings.
Perhaps seed quality is an issue.
Jimmy

[annie8]

I tried white Lisbon too growing outside and had no success. Maybe will try the clumping method starting in the greenhouse once I have some space. Tried shallots and chives in the past also no success. I have had a better time with leeks this year by buying them as small plants, I’d tried from seed and struggled.

[Jay-ell]

My chives, which I guess are similar have all gone to seed and down the rows are thousands of little seedlings.
Perhaps seed quality is an issue.
Jimmy

Perfectly normal, chives (and most other alliums) go to seed in summer and their leaves die back during the hotter months of the year.

I find chives easy to grow where you don't want them

I've not found Spring Onions to be a particularly fast crop - sow in Autumn and harvest in Spring.

You could try sowing Welsh Onions instead - just as fast (slow) but if you don't eat all of them you can put them aside and they'll come back year after year and multiply. That's the theory.

Other options are Walking onions, Rakkyo or Perutil but it takes a few years to get a big enough patch unless you get loads at the start.

I also get the cheap end of season onion sets and plant them closer than for bulbs.

[Artisan]

Can't help, can't grow them, stoopid onions

Yes, I'm with you on this one.