.webp)
Growing spring onions from seed gives you the full experience of nurturing a plant from scratch.
It’s cost-effective and fun, like having a tiny farm in the city!
Plus, spring onions grow fast, often ready to harvest in just about eight weeks from sowing.
This guide will walk you through each step, share handy tips for Indian urban gardeners and balcony gardeners, and point out a few useful products to make the process even easier. Let’s get growing!
What You Need to Grow Spring Onions
Before we start, gather these essentials for your spring onion garden:
1. Quality Seeds or Seed Kits
Get spring onion seeds (usually part of mixed vegetable seed kits in India) – you can find them in Urban Plant’s vegetable seed kits, which offer a variety of veggies for your kitchen garden.
2. Containers or Pots
Choose pots & planters about 6–8 inches deep with drainage holes. Urban Plant has durable pots and planters perfect for balconies.
3. Potting Mix & Fertilizer
Use a loose, well-draining potting mix enriched with compost. Mixing in an organic fertilizer like vermicompost keeps the soil rich – try an organic vermicompost fertilizer for natural nutrients.
4. Basic Gardening Tools
A small trowel, gloves, and a watering can make the job easy. A set of gardening tools and accessories from Urban Plant can be handy for planting and maintenance.
5. A Sunny Spot
Spring onions love the sun. Find a spot that gets 5–6 hours of sunlight – a south or west-facing balcony or a bright windowsill works great.
(If your summers are extremely hot above 35°C, provide partial shade during the hottest part of the day to prevent leaf burn.)
How to Grow Spring Onions from Seed (Step-by-Step Guide)
Growing spring onions is beginner-friendly. Just follow these simple steps:
1. Prepare the Pot
Fill your container with potting mix, leaving an inch below the rim. Ensure the soil is moist but not soggy.
If you’re using a wide planter, you can grow many spring onions together since they don’t mind crowding too much.
(Pro tip: Ensure good drainage – line the bottom of the pot with a bit of gravel or broken terracotta pieces to prevent waterlogging.)
2. Sow the Seeds
Sprinkle spring onion seeds evenly on the soil surface. Cover them with a thin layer of soil about 1.5 cm deep, and gently pat down.
You can sow them quite densely (every 2–3 cm) since you’ll harvest them young. In the mild climates of India, you can sow in late winter or early spring for best results, but since day length doesn’t affect spring onion growth much, you can sow almost year-round
3. Water Gently
After sowing, water the pot using a fine sprinkle or mist so you don’t wash the seeds away. Keep the soil consistently moist (not waterlogged) during germination.
In about 7–14 days, you’ll see thin grass-like sprouts poking out.
If your balcony is windy or very dry, you might cover the pot loosely with a plastic wrap or tray (with air holes) to retain humidity until seeds germinate.
4. Provide Light and Care
Place the pot in that sunny spot you picked out. Spring onion seedlings need plenty of light to grow upright and strong – full sun is ideal, though they will tolerate partial shade.
If you notice them getting very tall and floppy, they might need more sun. Rotate the pot every few days so all seedlings get sunlight evenly (especially on a windowsill).
5. Feed and Nurture
After about 3–4 weeks, your spring onion plants will be established (5–6 cm tall). At this stage, you can start feeding them lightly.
Every 2 weeks, mix in a handful of organic fertilizer or compost into the topsoil or use a mild liquid fertilizer.
Organic options are safer in apartment settings (no harsh smells or chemicals) – for example, diluted compost tea or Urban Plant’s organic liquid fertilizer works great. Regular feeding ensures thick, healthy green leaves for you to harvest.
6. Succession Planting (Optional)
Want a continuous harvest? Sow a new batch of seeds every 3–4 weeks in a separate pot or section.
This way, as you finish one batch, the next will be ready to harvest.
Urban gardeners in India can do successive sowings from October through March for an almost year-round supply, taking a break in the hottest or monsoon months if needed.
7. Harvest Time!
In about 6–8 weeks, your spring onions should be roughly pencil-thick and 6–8 inches tall, ready to pull up and eat. (If you used a quick variety like ‘White Lisbon’, they mature fast).
To harvest, gently loosen the soil around a bunch and pull up the whole plant. For a milder flavor, harvest when stems are thinner; for a stronger flavor, let some grow a bit larger.
Spring onions are usually ready about two months after sowing, but you can snip a few greens earlier to top your omelet or poha.
Read Also
Hidden Guide: How To Grow Coriander Successfully At Home
8 Easy Ways: How to Revive Dead or Dying Plants
Tips for Growing Spring Onions Successfully
1. Balanced Sun & Temperature
Spring onions prefer mild weather. In most Indian cities, the winter and spring months are perfect. They can be grown year-round if you provide some afternoon shade in scorching summer or move pots indoors during heavy rains.
2. Avoid Overcrowding (if Bulbs Desired)
If you aim to let some onions grow larger bulbs, thin the seedlings to about 5 cm apart so they have room to swell.
However, if you only want slender spring onions, tight spacing is fine and yields more per pot.
3. Consistent Moisture
Erratic watering can cause the plants to get stressed. Kethe ep soil is evenly moist. A layer of mulch (like dried leaves or coco coir) on top of the soil can help retain moisture, especially in dry cities like Delhi.
4. Use Them Fresh
Spring onions taste best when freshly picked. After harvest, they can stay fresh in the fridge for about a week (wrap in a damp cloth or keep roots in a bit of water).
But the joy of growing your own is that you can harvest right before cooking – farm-to-table from your balcony!
Growing Onions vs. Spring Onions from Seed: A Quick Variety Guide
You might wonder how spring onions differ from regular bulb onions. Essentially, spring onions are onions that are harvested young, before forming a big bulb.
In India, the term “spring onion” usually refers to the green bunching onions used in salads and Indo-Chinese dishes, which have slender white bulbs.
You can grow these from seed easily in containers (as we’ve described).
Regular onions (the kind you use in everyday cooking) can also be grown from seed in pots, but they require a longer growing season (4–5 months) and more space for the bulb to develop.
If you want to try growing bulb onions from seed in your apartment, choose a deep pot (10–12 inches) and a variety suitable for your region (for example, short-day onion varieties do well in North India’s winter).
However, many urban gardeners prefer spring onions or “scallions” because they are fast and space-saving.
Some seed packs in India might just say “green onion” or “spring onion” – these are what you need for a quick crop.
Tip: You can also grow spring onions by replanting small onion bulbs (sets) or even the cut-off bottoms of onions from your kitchen. Just plant them in soil with the root side down – they will shoot up new green stalks in no time.
FAQs: Growing Spring Onions in Apartments
What is the best way to grow spring onions from seed?
Sow seeds in moist, well-drained soil, place in sunlight, water regularly, and harvest in 6–8 weeks.
How many days does it take spring onions to grow?
Spring onions are ready to harvest in 45–60 days from seed.
Can I grow spring onions in pots on a balcony?
Yes, spring onions grow well in balcony pots with 4–6 hours of sunlight.
What is the ideal season to grow spring onions in India?
The best time to grow spring onions in India is from October to March.
How deep should the container be for spring onions?
Use a pot at least 6–8 inches deep for healthy root growth.
Do spring onions need full sunlight?
Yes, spring onions need 4–6 hours of sunlight daily to thrive.
Can I regrow spring onions from kitchen scraps?
Yes, plant the root base in soil, and it will regrow in a few days.
Are spring onions and green onions the same?
Yes, both refer to young onions harvested before bulb formation.
What fertilizer is best for spring onions in apartments?
Use organic fertilizers like vermicompost or compost tea every 2 weeks.
How often should I water spring onions in pots?
Water when the topsoil feels dry; typically every 1–2 days.
Conclusion: From Seeds to Scallions – You Can Do It!
Growing spring onions from seed in an apartment is truly one of the easiest gardening projects – perfect for beginners and city dwellers craving some green.
With minimal supplies and a little love, you’ll be rewarded with handfuls of crisp, home-grown spring onions to elevate your cooking.
This guide to growing spring onions covered everything from planting to harvest, and we hope you feel confident to start your own mini onion patch on your balcony or windowsill.
Remember, the freshest produce is the one you grow yourself!
Follow our WhatsApp Channel for more gardening inspiration.
