How to Grow Spring Onion
'White Lisbon' from Seed
The classic UK spring onion in cultivation since the 1700s -- sow 1cm deep in dense drills from March to August every 3 weeks (no thinning) for continuous mild-sweet spring onions in 8-10 weeks; also sow in September to overwinter for the first fresh kitchen garden harvest of March; every part edible (white base, mid-stem, green tops); grows in any reasonable soil; excellent in containers; companion plant with mint to deter onion fly; virtually no-fail kitchen garden essential
Spring Onion 'White Lisbon' is the reliable workhorse of the UK salad garden -- the spring onion that has been grown in British kitchen gardens since at least the 1700s and remains the most widely-sown bunching onion variety in the UK more than 300 years later. The longevity is explained entirely by performance: White Lisbon is fast (ready to harvest in as little as 8 weeks from sowing), adaptable (growing in any reasonable garden soil in sun or partial shade), mild in flavour (the slender white stems and bright green tops have a sweet, mild onion flavour without the eye-watering intensity of bulb onions), and completely forgiving of the variable sowing technique of beginning vegetable gardeners. In a well-managed kitchen garden, successive sowings every three weeks from March through August provide a virtually unbroken supply of fresh spring onions from late spring through to the first frosts.
The "spring onion" category encompasses any onion harvested young before the bulb has swollen significantly, but White Lisbon is the variety that has given the category its character: the clean white base softening into the characteristic pale-green transition zone of the stem before becoming the bright, vivid green of the upper leaves. Every part is edible and usable -- the white base in cooking where a mild onion flavour is wanted without the bulk of a bulb onion; the green tops as a garnish and fresh flavouring where the colour is as important as the flavour.
Quick Facts at a Glance
Plant Type
Hardy Annual vegetable -- the classic UK spring onion; in cultivation since the 1700s
Harvest
Pull when white stems 15-20cm; ready in 8-10 weeks; mild, sweet, tender green tops
Succession
Sow every 3 weeks March-August for continuous supply; also overwinters from September sow
No thinning
Sow densely in drills for pencil-thin stems -- do not thin seedlings
Companion
Plant mint nearby to confuse and deter onion fly
Difficulty
1 out of 5 -- scatter, water, harvest 8 weeks later; the most forgiving vegetable
Understanding the Classic Spring Onion
The Succession Sowing Principle -- Continuous Supply
The most important practical technique for White Lisbon is succession sowing: a small sowing every 2-3 weeks from March through August. Each individual sowing produces a harvestable crop in approximately 8-10 weeks, and the plants remain in harvestable condition for 2-3 weeks before they become too large or start to bulb. Without succession sowing, a single March sowing produces a glut in May-June that cannot all be used before it becomes over-mature, followed by a long gap with no spring onions. Three-weekly succession sowing provides a continuous rolling supply with no gluts and no gaps from late May through to October.
The Overwintering Option -- March Spring Onions
An additional sowing in September (using a hardy overwintering variety like White Lisbon) produces young seedlings that overwinter in the ground as a juvenile vegetable, then resume growth in early spring to provide the earliest spring onions of the following year -- typically ready in March or April, weeks before any spring-sown crop could be harvested. This early spring harvest is the most valued timing for spring onions in a UK kitchen garden: by March, fresh salad ingredients from the garden are rare, and the emergence of White Lisbon spring onions from the overwintered September sowing is one of the earliest genuinely useful kitchen garden harvests of the season.
Dense Sowing for Pencil-Thin Stems
The characteristic slender, pencil-thin stems of White Lisbon at its best are produced by dense sowing without subsequent thinning. When seedlings are crowded, competition for light produces the etiolated (drawn-up, elongated) white base that is the spring onion's defining quality; plants given too much space develop thicker bases and begin to bulb. Sow seed thickly in drills (3-4 seeds per 2.5cm) without subsequent thinning, and the mutual competition produces the elegant thin-stemmed spring onions that are most attractive and most versatile in the kitchen.
Sowing & Growing On
Direct Sow 1cm Deep March-August Every 3 Weeks -- No Thinning -- Also Overwinter from September Sow
Sow directly outdoors in drills 1cm deep and 15-20cm between rows from March-August. Sow densely (do not thin). Germination 7-14 days. Harvest 8-10 weeks after sowing by pulling individual plants. Succession sow every 3 weeks for continuous supply. Sow in September for early spring harvest.
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Sow directly outdoors 1cm deep in drills 15-20cm apart from March-August. Sow seed thickly in the drill at approximately 1 seed per cm. Do not thin -- the crowding produces the slender pencil-thin stems that are the spring onion ideal. Germination 7-14 days in warm spring-summer conditions; slightly slower in the cold of March. Water the drill thoroughly before and after sowing if the soil is dry.
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Succession sow a short drill every 2-3 weeks from March through August. Each batch is harvestable for 2-3 weeks before over-maturing. Three-weekly sowings ensure continuous availability from late May through to October without gluts or gaps. Even a single 30cm drill every 3 weeks provides a family's continuous spring onion supply throughout the season.
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Harvest by pulling individual plants when white stems are 15-20cm long. Harvest white stems while still slender (pencil thickness or slightly less) before any bulbing begins. Rinse thoroughly -- soil clings to the roots and the base of the stem. The entire plant is edible: white base, transition zone, and green tops. Use fresh immediately for maximum flavour and crispness.
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Sow in September for an overwinter crop harvested in March-April. Prepare a drill as for spring sowings and sow slightly less thickly (germination is slower in cooling autumn temperatures). The seedlings overwinter as small but hardy plants and resume rapid growth in early spring, producing the earliest fresh kitchen garden harvest of the year.
Growing On & Care
In the Kitchen -- Three Parts, Three Uses
White Lisbon's three sections have distinct culinary applications. The white base (the bottom 3-5cm of each plant) has the most concentrated onion flavour and is best used in cooking -- added to stir-fries, soups, egg dishes, and anything where a mild cooked onion flavour is wanted but a full bulb onion would overwhelm. The pale-green middle section is intermediate in flavour and works equally well raw or cooked. The bright green tops are predominantly for fresh use as a garnish or raw flavouring -- scattered over eggs, soup, noodles, or any dish where fresh green onion flavour and colour are wanted. The Japanese tradition of using spring onion tops as a garnish (negi) reflects this same understanding.
The 8-Week Kitchen Garden Win
Few kitchen garden vegetables produce a result in 8 weeks from seed. White Lisbon spring onions do -- making them one of the fastest and most rewarding vegetables for beginning kitchen gardeners, for impatient gardeners, and for late-season gap-filling. A small drill sown in the gap left by a harvested spring lettuce, a completed row of radishes, or any bare patch of fertile garden soil can be producing harvestable spring onions within 8 weeks. The rapid turnaround makes White Lisbon the "fill-in" crop of choice for the organised kitchen garden, keeping productive use of the available ground between slower-maturing vegetables.
Culinary Versatility -- Every Cuisine
White Lisbon spring onions appear in virtually every culinary tradition: Chinese stir-fries and noodle dishes where the green tops are added at the last moment to retain their colour and fresh flavour; Japanese dashi and ramen where sliced spring onion is the essential garnish; Mexican salsas and guacamole where raw white stem provides bite without bulk; French vinaigrettes and egg dishes; British cheese and onion; Indian raita and chutneys. The mild, versatile flavour profile of White Lisbon makes it useful wherever a fresh onion note is wanted without the intensity of a fully developed bulb onion.
Growing in Containers
White Lisbon grows excellently in containers -- window boxes, deep pots, or growing bags on a patio or balcony. A 20-30cm deep container filled with multipurpose compost provides adequate root depth. Sow a short drill in a window box and make a succession sowing every 3 weeks for continuous container spring onions. Water more frequently than in-ground plants (containers dry out rapidly), and feed every 2 weeks with a balanced liquid fertiliser to compensate for the limited nutrient reservoir in container compost. Container growing is ideal for gardeners without a dedicated kitchen garden, or for keeping spring onions close to the kitchen door.
Pest Deterrence and Companions
Onion fly (Delia antiqua) is the primary pest of spring onions -- the fly locates its egg-laying site by the onion scent, and the resulting maggots eat the roots of young plants causing sudden wilting and collapse. The traditional deterrent is companion planting with mint: a pot of peppermint or spearmint placed near the spring onion bed masks the onion scent that the fly uses for location. Spring onions as companion plants also benefit neighbouring crops by deterring carrot fly from carrot rows (the allium scent disrupts the olfactory location of the fly). Carrots and spring onions interplanted in alternating rows provide mutual pest deterrence for both crops.
Overwintering -- March Reward
The September sowing that overwinters in the ground is one of the most rewarding low-effort kitchen garden plantings available. The seedlings germinate in the autumn warmth, establish a root system before winter, then pause through the coldest months before resuming growth with the first warmth of late February-March. The emerging spring onions are one of the very first fresh harvests of the new growing season -- available before any spring sowing could possibly have produced a harvestable crop. In a Norfolk kitchen garden like the Bishy farm, overwintered White Lisbon spring onions typically become harvestable in March, providing fresh salad material six weeks before the first spring-sown crops reach harvest stage.
Sowing & Harvest Calendar
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| Overwinter sow (Sep) |
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| Spring-summer succession sow (Mar-Aug every 3 wks) |
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| Harvest overwinter sow (Mar-Apr) |
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| Harvest spring-summer sow (May-Oct) |
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Common Problems & Solutions
| Problem | Likely Cause | What to Do |
|---|---|---|
| Bulbing; base swelling and widening | Too much spacing; not sown densely enough | Sow more thickly and do not thin. White Lisbon produces slender spring onions when crowded by neighbouring plants. Well-spaced plants develop into small bulb onions rather than spring onions. |
| Onion fly maggot damage; sudden wilting | Onion fly egg-laying | Grow mint nearby to mask the onion scent. Use insect netting (fine mesh) over the entire bed from sowing to harvest -- the most reliable physical barrier. Practise crop rotation, never growing alliums in the same position in consecutive years. |
| Inconsistent germination in spring | Cold soil; sowing too early | White Lisbon germinates best at 10-16°C. In a cold March, delay sowing until early April or warm the soil with black polythene for a week before sowing. Germination in cold soil can take 3-4 weeks rather than the normal 7-14 days. |
| Short season; harvest finishing quickly | Single sowing; no succession | Sow a short drill every 2-3 weeks from March through August. Each batch harvestable for 2-3 weeks; without succession the season ends with the single batch. Three-weekly sowings maintain continuous supply from May to October. |
Vegetable Specifications
Sow thickly every 3 weeks, pull in 8 weeks -- the spring onion that has been feeding British kitchens since the 1700s
Sow thickly in 1cm drills every 2-3 weeks from March-August without thinning. Pull individual plants when stems are pencil-thin and 15-20cm long (8-10 weeks from sowing). Add a September sowing to overwinter for the first harvest of March. Plant mint nearby to deter onion fly.
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