Spring onions are an excellent addition to many dishes. They can be eaten raw or cooked and have a delicate, sweet onion flavour. They can be used in salads, stir fries and curries. Alternatively, they can be roasted with a bit of butter and basic seasonings for a fuss-free dish.
How to grow spring onions at home
Spring onion seedlings look like grassy weeds when they first emerge, but once you’ve got them in the ground they will quickly spread. Sow them in drills 1-2cm deep, with 10cm between each plant. Then thin them out by removing leaves as they grow. They’ll be ready to harvest in eight weeks.
Sow them in a sunny place and water regularly to ensure they remain healthy. They prefer a moist but well-drained soil, and don’t mind being fertilised during the growing process if you use a suitable granular or liquid fertiliser.
When the roots and bulbs have reached full size, snip them off to use as needed. You can also leave some in the ground to re-grow.
How to regrow spring onions in water
Spring onions grow very quickly from cuttings. You can start by placing the ends of your trimmings in a glass jar with a little water so that the bulb end of the onion is submerged. Change the water every few days to keep the roots fresh, and you’ll be surprised at how quickly new growth starts!
This is an easy gardening hack that works for people who want to grow a lot of spring onions but don’t have a garden. You can even do this on your windowsill.
How to grow spring onions from cuttings
To start with, cut your cuttings from the root about two to three centimetres above the soil surface. Stand them in a jar of water in a bright spot so that the roots are submerged, and change the water daily. You should see new shoots emerging in as little as a week.
When your cuttings are fully grown, you can snip off any extra shoots as you need them and stick them in water to grow a new crop. This is a great way to save money and have fresh spring onions whenever you need them!
How to make a caramelized butter sauce for baby spring onions
To create this simple, yet delicious, recipe, preheat the oven to 350degF. Slice the spring onions lengthways into long slivers, trimming off the top greens if necessary. Add half the butter to the slivers, along with a little salt and pepper. Bake until the onions are tender, browned and caramelized, about 35 minutes.
How to regrow spring onions from cuttings
When you’re growing a large crop of spring onions, it can be easy to lose them all. This is why you can often find them in supermarkets with the bulb and root attached. That’s why it’s important to separate them as you need them for cooking or preserving, and to always cut off the roots if they’re not necessary for a recipe.
