Scallions, often called green onions, are one of the most rewarding and straightforward crops to grow inside your home, providing a fresh garnish year-round. Indoor cultivation offers a continuous supply right in your kitchen, regardless of the outdoor season. This simple gardening project requires minimal space and effort, making it a perfect entry point for urban gardeners or anyone seeking hyper-local freshness. Growing them indoors ensures you have crisp, vibrant scallions ready for use.
Starting Scallions From Scraps or Seeds
The quickest path to a scallion harvest involves utilizing the white, root-bearing ends of store-bought scallions, a process known as regrowth from scraps. To begin, cut the green stalks about one inch above the root plate, ensuring the roots remain intact. You then have the choice of two initial techniques for these scraps: the water method or the soil method.
The water method is the simplest approach, requiring only a small glass jar or cup. Fill the container with enough water to fully submerge the roots, but keep the cut edge of the base above the waterline to prevent rot. This technique is fast, often yielding noticeable new green growth within a couple of days. However, the lack of nutrients means this method is not sustainable for long-term growth. The resulting regrown stalks tend to be thinner and less flavorful after a few harvests.
For a more robust and longer-lasting supply, transplanting the scraps into a container with potting mix is the superior choice. Plant the root end about an inch deep in the soil, ensuring the white stalk base is covered. The soil provides the necessary nutrients that the water method lacks, allowing the plant to develop a stronger root system and produce thicker, more vigorous new shoots.
Starting scallions from seeds is a much slower process, typically requiring 90 to 120 days for the plant to reach a mature, harvestable size. Sow the seeds about a quarter-inch deep in a good seed-starting mix, spacing them an inch or two apart. While this method requires more patience, it allows you to grow specific varieties and establish a truly permanent, self-sustaining indoor patch.
Providing the Optimal Indoor Environment
Whether you start from scraps or seeds, providing the correct environment is necessary for continuous, healthy indoor growth. Scallions require at least six hours of bright light daily to thrive, and a south-facing window that receives direct sunlight is often the best natural option. If natural light is insufficient, the use of supplemental lighting becomes necessary to prevent the stalks from becoming pale and leggy.
Full-spectrum LED grow lights are the most efficient and effective solution, mimicking natural sunlight without producing excessive heat. Position the LED light source twelve to twenty-four inches above the plants, setting a timer for twelve to fourteen hours of illumination daily. This consistent light exposure encourages strong, upright growth, essential for a quality harvest.
When growing in soil, select a pot that is at least six inches deep to accommodate the root structure. Proper drainage is essential; the container must have holes at the bottom to allow excess water to escape and prevent root rot.
The soil should remain consistently moist but never waterlogged; water when the top half-inch of soil feels dry to the touch. For scraps growing in water, replace the water daily or every other day to prevent the buildup of bacteria and algae, which can cause the roots to rot. Maintaining a comfortable room temperature, ideally between 65°F and 75°F, supports steady growth.
Maximizing Your Harvest
Employing a specific harvesting technique is the secret to ensuring a long-lasting, continuous yield from your indoor scallion patch. Instead of pulling the entire plant out of the soil or water, you should use sharp scissors to snip the green stalks. Make the cut about a half-inch to one inch above the white base or the soil line.
Leaving this small portion of the white base and the root structure intact allows the plant’s growth point to remain undamaged. The plant will immediately begin to regenerate new tissue from the center of the remaining stalk. This “cut-and-come-again” method ensures new harvestable greens within a week, providing a continuous supply.
The longevity of your patch depends on the starting method and ongoing care. Scallions grown from scraps in plain water will eventually exhaust nutrient reserves, becoming thinner and weaker after two or three harvests. These scraps should then be composted or transplanted into soil. Scallions grown in potting mix, especially with occasional feeding, can remain productive for several months.