I've read that spring onions are technically perennial, but most sources say they're grown as annuals or biannuals. If I leave them in the ground, what happens? Is it possible to create a clump that I can harvest spring onions from year to year?
3 Answers
I think there's a bit of confusion here—spring onions are actually just early-harvested bulb onions. What people usually think of as spring onions are more like green onions or scallions. While they’re not truly perennial, they can self-divide, and many treat them like perennials because of that. You can definitely set up a clump and keep harvesting from it year after year. I've had mine going for several years now!
Yeah, if you leave some spring onions in the ground, they can bolt and produce flowers. This will lead to seeds that fall back into the soil and can sprout when conditions are right. You might also want to check out Egyptian walking onions, which are similar and work great as perennials!
Absolutely! The flowers from the onions are a hit with bees, especially in my area. They go wild for the onion blooms, so you're not just growing onions, but also helping the local pollinators!
In some regions, what we call scallions or green onions are actually referred to as spring onions, so it can get a bit mixed up!