Do you want to start growing scallions in your backyard? Scallions, also known as green onions or leeks, are a great addition to different meals. You can find them in soups, stews, and more.
What You Need to Know About Growing Scallions in Your Backyard
The scallions add the perfect touch to most dishes and are great to grow. However, you might not know how to grow scallions successfully. If you follow the simple and beneficial tips below, you can plant your scallions and watch as they grow.
It can take some time for the plants to mature, but it is worth it when you have these long-necked onions growing in your yard. Here is how to grow scallions in your backyard.
Scallion Seed Varieties To Consider
I always recommend choosing organic, non-gmo seeds. Here are a few you might like in your garden.
When to plant scallion seeds?
Wait Until Frost Clears Before You Get Started
Make sure to wait until the frost clears before you start planting your scallion seeds. If there is a possibility for more frost in the next few weeks, you should wait. While you may look forward to planting the seeds and growing the scallions, these plants thrive in warmer temperatures.
You may already know what the weather is like in your area. Waiting until the start of spring may be best for you.
However, if you live in a place where it is relatively warm throughout the year, you can start planting your seeds right away.
I do not recommend starting scallion seeds indoors as they do not transfer well.
Remove Debris and Stones From a Designated Spot in the Yard
Before you begin planting the seeds, you need to head out in your backyard and check for stones and debris. Remove any large or small stones that you find. Get rid of any debris, such as fallen leaves and twigs. You want to choose a designated space in your yard where you will grow the scallions.
It does not matter where you decide to put them in the yard, but you need to have a clear space available. You can use a sifting basket to help you get rid of anything that does not belong on the ground before you start putting your soil in place.
Creating the right environment for the scallions to grow is one of the most important things to do when you want your plants to thrive.
Purchase and Use Organic Soil on the Ground
You will need to have plenty of soil when growing your scallions. It is best to purchase organic soil. The soil brand does not matter too much, but Nature’s Care and Dr. Earth are two great organic options. You can find these organic soils at stores like Home Depot, Target, and Wal-Mart.
Or you can make your own soil with my recipe!
Having organic soil is more important than you might think. Organic soil is known for draining a lot better than traditional soil, and that is just what the scallions need. Although the seeds need to stay moist, you do not want the soil to stay soaking wet the entire time. Proper drainage of the soil is the key to success when growing scallions.
Once you purchase or make the organic soil, pour it out onto the ground. Use a ruler to measure the height of the soil. You need to have about eight inches deep of organic soil on the ground before you start to plant your seeds. However I have done this in a Square Foot Garden with only 6 inches of depth.
There is a good chance that you will need to buy several bags of soil to ensure that you have plenty of it. This is an important tip when learning how to scallions in your backyard.
Begin Planting Your Seeds Beneath the Soil
After putting your soil on the ground and making sure you have enough of it, you can start planting your seeds.
How Deep to Plant Scallions?
Plant your seeds about ¼ inch deep, ½ inch apart, and with 12 inches of row spacing.
In Square Foot Gardening you can plant 16 seeds per square. And these onions will grow in large pots with good potting soil too.
Place the scallion seeds in a row. After you run out of space, put the next seeds about a foot apart from the first row. Continue the process until you run out of seeds to plant. You will then need to pull out more of your organic soil.
You do not need to bury the seeds in soil, but you need to cover them lightly with a bit of soil. After you place the soil on top of the seeds, sprinkle a bit of water on top. The goal is to keep the soil together and moist instead of dry. If it is too dry, it can easily blow away, causing your seeds to get destroyed.
Get on a Watering Schedule to Keep the Soil Moist
Create a watering schedule that you can follow after planting your seeds. You will need to provide your seedlings with enough water to grow and thrive. Scallions need, on average, an inch of water every seven days. You do not need to use a sprinkler system to get these plants to grow. Instead, use a watering can.
When you use the watering can and water the seeds manually, you can use the right amount of water on your seeds. You do not want the soil to become too dry, but you do not want to soak it with too much water.
Pull Weeds Surrounding Your Scallions
Take care of any weeds that you might find growing in areas surrounding your scallions. The weeds are problematic because they can cause your scallions to die. If this happens, the weeds have defeated your initial purpose of growing scallions in the first place.
When you want to prevent the weeds from killing the scallions, check for them each day. As soon as you spot weeds growing, carefully pull them out.
Use Fertilizer on a Monthly Basis
You can add fertilizer to the soil when growing scallions, but you do not need to do it too often. Use a highly-effective fertilizer to encourage the healthy growth of these long-necked onions. You should add some fertilizer to the soil before you plant your seeds. Continue adding a bit of fertilizer on the same day of each month.
The fertilizer will improve the overall quality of the scallions and help the soil maintain its perfect texture.
How to Grow Scallions or Green Onions in Your Backyard
Start growing scallions in your backyard, and you will never have to buy them again. Once you grow them, you can chop them up and use them in different recipes. The process may sound complicated, but it is a lot easier to grow scallions than you might think.
With some seeds, a weathering can, soil, and fertilizer, you can start growing plenty of scallions. What tips can you offer to help grow scallions in your backyard?
73 Recipes for Green Onions and Scallions