Spring Onions in Barking Tye
Allium cepa
Spring onions are fast-growing, mild-flavoured onions grown for their green stems and small bulbs. They are easy to grow and can be sown in succession for a continuous harvest. Hardy varieties can even be sown in late autumn to overwinter for an early spring crop. Spring onions don't take much space and grow well in containers or between slower-growing vegetables.
Growing Guide
Step-by-step instructions for growing Spring Onion
Planting Calendar
Growing Guide for
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Step-by-step guide to growing spring onions sown outdoors in spring and summer.
Sow Seeds Outdoors
5 Mar – 28 JunMarch to June is the main period to sow spring onions in Barking Tye. Sow seeds in rows about apart and deep. Keep the soil moist and weed-free. For a continuous supply, sow new batches every few weeks.
Thin Seedlings
1 Apr – 10 JunOnce seedlings are a few centimetres tall, thin them to about apart. Remove the weaker ones carefully to avoid disturbing the remaining plants. Thinning gives each spring onion space to grow to a good size.
Harvest
6 Jun – 3 SeptSpring onions are usually ready to harvest about 90 days after sowing. Pull them up once they reach pencil thickness. Harvesting can start from June and continue until September for later sowings. Spring onions are best used fresh, as they do not store for long.
Companion Plants
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Good companions
Plants to avoid
Why companion planting matters
Companion planting can deter pests, improve pollination, and make better use of space. Some plants confuse pests or attract beneficial insects; others improve soil or offer shade to neighbours that need it.
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Basil
Basil is a fragrant, tender herb whose leaves are a staple of summer cooking. Native to tropical regions, basil is treated as an annual in temperate climates like the UK because it cannot tolerate frost. It thrives in warm, sunny conditions and can be grown in garden beds or pots for a steady supply of fresh, flavourful leaves throughout the summer.
Brussels Sprouts
Brussels sprouts are a hardy winter brassica (cabbage family) that form sturdy, leafy stems often around 60–90cm tall. They produce edible mini-cabbage buds along the stem from autumn through winter. Thanks to their cold tolerance, sprouts remain productive into late winter, and frost actually improves their sweetness.
Calabrese
Calabrese (broccoli) produces a large central head of tightly-packed green buds, followed by smaller side-shoots after the main head is cut. It’s a cool-season brassica crop. Grow it in full sun with fertile, well-drained soil and keep plants watered during dry spells. Harvest the heads while firm, then leave the stem in the ground to allow side-shoots to develop.
Also in nearby towns
See how Spring Onion timing shifts in other towns with different frost dates.