Growing

Growing Walking Onions

Walking Onions are incredibly easy to grow and a great choice for beginner and experienced gardeners alike. They’re hardy, low-maintenance, and will come back year after year with minimal effort.

🌱 Growing Walking Onions

How to Grow Walking Onions

Walking Onions are incredibly easy to grow and a great choice for beginner and experienced gardeners alike. They’re hardy, low-maintenance, and will come back year after year with minimal effort. Here’s how to get started:

☀️ Choose the Right Spot

Walking Onions thrive in full sun and well-drained soil. Choose a garden area that receives at least 6 hours of direct sunlight per day.

🌾 Prepare the Soil

  • Loosen the soil to help roots establish easily.

  • Adding compost is optional but beneficial.

  • Make sure the area drains well—walking onions don’t like soggy soil.

🧅 Planting Bulbils

These small top-set bulbils grow into new onion plants.

  • Depth: 1–2 inches

  • Spacing: 4–6 inches apart

  • Tip: You can harvest greens the first year, and bulbils the next.

🧅 Planting Bulbs

For full-grown onions or dividing mature plants.

  • Depth: 2–3 inches

  • Spacing: 4–6 inches apart

  • Tip: These bulbs will multiply over time—perfect for expanding your patch.

💧 Watering & Mulching

  • Keep the soil consistently moist, especially while plants are young.

  • Once established, walking onions are drought-tolerant.

  • Apply mulch to help retain moisture and suppress weeds.

  • Mulch also helps protect bulbs in winter.

🌿 Caring for Your Walking Onions

  • Weeding: Keep weeds at bay to reduce competition.

  • Dividing: Every 2–3 years, dig and divide mature bulbs to promote healthy growth.

🌼 Companion Planting

Planting onions near the right companions can improve your garden’s health.

✅ Best Companion Plants:

  • Carrots – Onions deter carrot flies.

  • Beets – Onions repel pests that attack beets.

  • Lettuce & Spinach – Shallow roots, non-competitive.

  • Chamomile – May enhance onion flavor and attracts good bugs.

  • Strawberries – Onions repel some strawberry pests.

  • Tomatoes – Help fend off aphids.

  • Cabbage Family (Broccoli, Kale, etc.) – Onions deter cabbage worms.

  • Swiss Chard, Marigolds – Safe, beneficial companions.

🚫 Plants to Avoid:

  • Beans & Peas – Onion roots interfere with nitrogen-fixing bacteria.

  • Asparagus – Onions may stunt its growth.

  • Sage – Doesn’t grow well near onions.

🗓️ Seasonal Planting Tips

  • Spring Planting: Ideal for greens and a lighter harvest later in the year.

  • Fall Planting: Great for strong root development and earlier harvests the following summer.

🌟 Final Tip

With a little planning and care, walking onions will reward you with flavorful harvests year after year. Save a few bulbils or bulbs each season to keep your patch thriving—or share the love with fellow gardeners!

♡