How to Prune Long Green Onion
When is the best time to prune?
Long Green Onion is harvested throughout its growing season from spring to fall, with the exact timing depending on when temperatures warm enough to push active leaf growth in your region.
Why Should I Prune My Long Green Onion?
Long Green Onion, also called bunching onion or Welsh onion, is a cut-and-come-again plant. Each time you harvest the green tops, the plant pushes out fresh new growth from the base. Without harvesting, the leaves get very tall and fibrous, and the plant eventually bolts, sending up a round flower head.
The most productive approach is a regular leaf harvest throughout spring, summer, and fall. Cut the green tops down to 2-3 inches above the soil, leaving the white base and a stub of green intact. New leaves will emerge from the cut tips and the base within one to two weeks.
Flower stalks are the main thing to remove promptly. Once Long Green Onion begins to bolt and flower, the remaining leaves become tougher and the flavor turns pungent. Snip flower stalks off at the base as soon as you spot them, which redirects the plant's energy back into leaf production.
In cold climates the tops die back in winter and resprout in spring. In mild climates harvesting can continue almost year-round.
Know Before You Cut
What Should I Remove?
How Do I Prune Step by Step?
Got More Questions?
About This Article
