Crops › Onion (Salad/Spring)
How to grow Onion (Salad/Spring)
in the UK
Sow March to August, harvest May to October. About 60 days from seed to plate.
Salad onions, or spring onions as most folks call 'em, are a proper joy on the plot. They're dead easy to grow and give you a cracking, fresh crunch for your salads and stir-fries, often in just a couple of months.
Sowing
These are dead easy to get going straight into the ground from March right through to August, you know. Just make a shallow drill, about 1.5 cm deep, and sow your seeds thinly. If you're after a steady supply, like I say, pop a new batch in every three weeks or so. Cover 'em lightly with soil, give 'em a good drink, and keep the patch moist. You'll see them poking through in no time, ready to thin out a bit later on.
Growing on
Once your seedlings are up, you'll want to thin them out a bit to about 2-3 cm apart, giving them room to grow. If you've gone for plug plants, just pop them into your prepared bed at the same sort of spacing. They're not fussy and will do grand in pots or containers too, if your plot's a bit full. They'll just sit there and get on with it, to be honest.
Looking after it
Salad onions don't ask for much, really. Just keep them well-watered, especially if we have a dry spell, to stop them bolting early. Keep the area around them weed-free, as they don't like competition. A bit of general purpose feed if your soil's poor won't hurt, but mostly, they're pretty self-sufficient.
What goes wrong
The biggest bother for spring onions is often the dreaded onion fly. The larvae munch away at the roots, you see. Planting carrots nearby can help confuse 'em, like I often do. Keeping your plot tidy and rotating where you plant your alliums each year also makes a proper difference. Slugs can sometimes have a go too, especially when they're small.
Harvest
You can start pulling your salad onions after about 60 days, when they're nice and young, perfect for salads. Just give them a gentle pull from the soil. Don't leave them too long, or they'll get strong. They're definitely best used fresh, straight from the plot, so only pick what you need.
I always have a small patch dedicated to spring onions. When I pull a few out for dinner, I just pop a few more seeds into the gaps straight away, keeps the supply going proper.
Dates for your plot
Type the first half of your postcode and the plant-out advice shifts to your area's typical frost dates.
Varieties, and whether the club would grow them again
| Variety | Club verdict |
|---|---|
| White Lisbon Classic spring onion. | No club votes yet |
| Guardsman Upright growth habit. | No club votes yet |
| Ishikura Long white stems. | No club votes yet 1 growing it |
| North Holland Blood Red Red stemmed variety. | No club votes yet |
| Winter White Bunching Hardy winter type. | No club votes yet |
| Red Beard Red and white variety. | No club votes yet |
| Guardsman Bolt-resistant. | No club votes yet |
| Deep Purple Purple-red stems. | No club votes yet |
| Ishikura Japanese bunching, no bulb. | No club votes yet 1 growing it |
| White Spear Long white shanks. | No club votes yet |
| Red Beard Red-stemmed bunching. | No club votes yet |
| Feast Winter hardy. | No club votes yet |
| Tokyo Long White Extra-long stems. | No club votes yet |
| Parade Uniform, good regrowth. | No club votes yet |
| Crimson Forest Deep red stems. | No club votes yet |
Votes are members rating varieties in their Seed Tin, one vote per gardener. Tap a variety for the full page and where to buy.
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Cook the harvest
A bold, satisfying noodle salad where spring onions do real work — both raw and briefly wilted in the dressing, so you get two different textures from the same ingredient. The crispy tofu adds substance, and the sesame-ginger dressing ties everything together with a deep, nutty warmth. This is the kind of dish that tastes better the longer it sits, making it ideal for packed lunches.
30 min · easyA proper bowlful that treats spring onions as the main event rather than an afterthought. Three bunches go in — some softened slowly in butter for depth, some stirred in at the end for freshness and colour. The crispy pancetta on top is good enough to eat on its own.
45 min · easyA bold, deeply savoury North African-inspired stew where whole spring onions are the backbone rather than the background, braised until silky in a spiced tomato and chickpea base. Harissa brings real heat and depth, while a squeeze of lemon at the end keeps everything bright. Ready in under 30 minutes and substantial enough to eat on its own with good bread.
28 min · easyWhole spring onions are grilled until charred and sweet, then piled onto a plate with salty halloumi, juicy watermelon, and a bright mint-lemon dressing. It sounds surprising but it is one of the great summer combinations — the spring onions lose their sharpness entirely on the grill and take on a smoky, almost caramelised depth. This comes together in under 25 minutes and is exactly what you want to eat in July.
22 min · easyWatch for, and grow alongside
Questions people ask
When do you sow Onion (Salad/Spring) in the UK?
Sow Onion (Salad/Spring) from March to August.
How long does Onion (Salad/Spring) take from sowing to harvest?
Roughly 60 days, with the harvest May to October.
Which Onion (Salad/Spring) varieties do gardeners grow again?
Club members rate every variety they grow. This page shows the grow-again votes for White Lisbon, Guardsman, Ishikura, North Holland Blood Red and more.
Track your Onion (Salad/Spring) from packet to plate
Sowing reminders and harvest forecasts for your own frost dates, the Seed Tin, Scan Centre for any label or packet, and the Potty Mouth Garden Club. Free to start.
Allotment keeper in the North East of England, the voice behind the Tony C Smith YouTube channel, and the gardener who built GrowMore CookMore. Club numbers on this page update as members log their plots. Last updated 3 September 2026.