Growing Spring Onions indoors

[Shutsumon]

I was reading on another site that you can grow spring onions all year round by growing crops on a windowsill in a seed tray in winter. Given that I get through loads of spring onions in year because they are so useful I'm thinking of trying this when I get paid next week (I have seeds but I need more trays and compost before I can get started).

Has anyone else tried this? Does it work? Any tips?

[Paul the Gardener]

I never heard of doing that before but it sounds like a good idea
I might just give it a try my self

[Mrs Moustoir]

I always grow my own spring onions. I sowed the last lot of seeds in pots in my unheated greenhouse in October. They are about "chive" size now and haven't done much at all over the winter but are still alive! Haven't tried them inside due to lack of windowsills.

I've kept them lightly watered and frost-free and they should start to grow a bit more when the days start to lengthen.

[MuddyWitch]

I want window sills like MMM's in my next home, they are very deep. EVERY gardening book says"...or on a South facing/kitchen sill" mine are only 3'' (4cm) deep

Might try Spring Oninons in a cold frame though to see if I can extend the seaso a bit 'cos we get through loads too.

MW

[Odsox]

I want window sills like MMM's in my next home, they are very deep. EVERY gardening book says"...or on a South facing/kitchen sill" mine are only 3'' (4cm) deep

Might try Spring Oninons in a cold frame though to see if I can extend the seaso a bit 'cos we get through loads too.

MW

I agree totally and I'm now going to upset you MW
Just measured and I have 37 feet of south facing window sill all roughly 10 inches wide. 22 feet are in the centrally heated bit of the house and the other 15 feet are in a unheated conservatory (which also has 15' of north facing windows as well of course). Not only that, I intend to add another 5 feet this summer when I replace our leaky patio doors with a dwarf wall and a new window.
Sorry about that, the point of my post is to point out that you can now get "winter hardy" versions on spring onions including the White Lisbon variety which I have grown in my polytunnel for the last 3 years. Sown in September they slowly mature from February onwards.

[MuddyWitch]

Odsox,

But thanks for the serious info.

MW

[Shutsumon]

Well I managed to get 2 small seed trays and some compost today (I was expecting to have to wait until payday on Thursday but I had more money left than I thought). So I've planted white lisbon spring onions in one and some red variety (north holland blood red apparently) in the other. Both of them claim to be suitable for containers. Watered them and placed them in the window in my bedroom (the bathroom and kitchen windowsills are taken and the dog massacres anything I put on the lounge windowsill).

I've attached a note to the fridge reminding me to check they they don't dry out.

The packets say they germinate in about 14 - 21 days so I will report in once I have news.

Becky

[Millymollymandy]

Hey I've got famous windowsills!

Good luck with the experiment - it will be interesting to hear if it works. I still have some spring onions in a windowbox type pot outdoors and they aren't dead - they do seem to be very hardy. Hopefully they'll bulk up a bit in the spring.

[JulieSherris]

Hmmm... I have between 15 & 20 ft of south facing windowsills.. & they're not too deep - deep enough though.

So when I start planting my indoor seeds, I shall be popping some in the car & taking them to Tony so he can babysit (seedsit?) them for me I'm sure he won't miss a few foot of his sills...........