Organic Spring Onion Seeds? The 80 Top Answers

For pesticides: apples are worst, onions are best

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You may have missed the US Department of Agriculture’s annual summary of pesticides in food released last month. It’s long and loaded with tongue-twisting chemicals — like tetrahydrophthalimide and pyraclostrobin — found in some popular products.

But the Environmental Working Group, an advocate of stricter pesticide controls, has collated the numbers from this report and a number of others to create a guide for concerned shoppers.

There is a “Dirty Dozen” overwritten by apples, celery and strawberries. And there’s also a memorable “Clean 15” of fruits and vegetables with the lowest levels of pesticides. The top three on this list: onions, sweetcorn, and pineapple.

The EWG suggests that people buy organically grown fruits and vegetables for the varieties that are on their list of varieties most likely to contain pesticide residues. But the group also says the health benefits of produce mean that “eating conventionally grown produce is far better than not eating any fruits and vegetables at all.”

Data from the latest USDA report shows that 98 percent of apples and 97 percent of grapes tested had at least one pesticide residue. At the other end of the spectrum, only 0.1 percent of fresh sweetcorn contained a detectable pesticide.

But organic doesn’t necessarily mean pesticide-free. The USDA report states that some organic lettuce tested contained pesticides. The most common residues were from spinosad (found in 18 percent of samples) and azadirachtin A/B, which the USDA says are okay for use in organic farming.

And the USDA says less than a third of 1 percent of food samples tested contained pesticide residues that exceeded safety tolerances set by the Environmental Protection Agency. Nearly three percent of the foods sampled contained pesticides for which the EPA has not established standards, the USDA said.

Overall, the USDA concludes that food pesticide levels are below the limits set by the EPA.

Allium fistulosum One of my favorite summer routines is to walk around my garden daily (or hourly) picking and eating edible leaves. Probably my absolute favorite dish to eat straight from the garden is bunched onions! In peak season, I would estimate that I eat a handful of the leaf tips each day on my garden walks, not to mention the bunches that I shred up and sprinkle into soups, stir-fries, and sandwich fillings. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy through one of our links, we may receive a commission.

If you’re not already growing this enticing plant in your garden, you really should! Bunch onions are a breeze to grow, strong and persistent, and once established they can add a pungent and delicious flavor to your kitchen year after year.

Here’s what comes in this article:

What are spring onions?

Also known as Welsh onions, spring onions, Japanese spring onions, scallions and scallions, these are perennial, non-tuberious alliums that produce tasty green stems and tiny white roots year after year!

They have thick, round, hollow stems that are light green in color and unique and beautiful greenish-white flowers that develop slowly and bloom for most of the summer.

The leaves have a mild onion flavor and are edible raw or cooked. Larger varieties resemble leeks and smaller ones resemble chives. The flowers are edible, with a similarly pungent flavor, although they tend to be a bit dry.

These perennials are so quick and easy to grow that they are often used as annuals, harvested in their entirety, and then re-seeded in succession over the course of a season. Learn more about succession plantings here.

Similar species

Distinguishing between spring onions and other types of leeks can be difficult. After all, pretty much every variety of onion produces edible greens.

For example, the common onion, A. cepa, can also produce spring onions early in the season, and many spring onions sold in US grocery stores are actually early onion greens.

Here are a few more similar species that produce edible greens:

Although similar in flavor to many of these relatives, A. fistulosum is a true non-bulb perennial bunch onion, and its green foliage tends to be superior in flavor!

cultivation and history

Although often referred to as Welsh onions, bunch onions are not native to Wales, nor do they have any particular connection to Welsh culinary tradition. In this case, “Welsh” refers to an Old English form of the word formerly understood as “foreign”.

In fact, this long-cultivated plant originated in China. Its use by humans dates back to at least 200 BC. back. It probably reached Japan around AD 500 and from there spread through Asia and Europe, finally ending up in North America.

Not only is it a tasty addition to all kinds of dishes, but it also has many uses in Chinese medicine. It has been used to improve metabolism, prevent cardiovascular disease, and fight colds and upper respiratory infections.

Herbalists say that a scallion poultice is even helpful in treating infections or draining wounds. A poultice is a moist lump of plant material that is placed on the skin to treat a wound or skin condition. It can be wrapped in a cloth or applied directly to the skin.

It’s also practically useful for protecting gardens! The sap can be used as a moth or aphid repellent, and the whole plant is believed to repel certain types of insects, including termites, as well as moles. Not a bad deal! (Please let us know if you have successfully tried this in your own garden…).

propagation

This hardy plant can be easily grown from seed or transplant, or by division.

Find a spot in full sun or partial shade with well-drained soil. For best results, incorporate plenty of organic matter such as compost or old manure before planting.

From seeds

Sow the seeds in early spring for summer harvest, or in late summer to ripen in fall or spring.

Plant a quarter to a half inch deep, about a quarter inch apart, in rows two to three inches wide or propagate seeds. Once the seedlings are well established, thin to an inch apart.

From seedlings/transplanting

Start seeding indoors about five to six weeks before the last frost date for your area. Maintain an average temperature of 59 to 68°F and keep the soil moist until germination, which will take between seven and 10 days on average.

Once the plants are three or four inches tall and all danger of frost has passed, transplant them into the garden in rows, leaving a few inches of space between each.

Lightly water dry soil before planting. You can lightly dip the underside of the roots in water or liquid fertilizer before planting them in the soil.

division

Once established, plants can be easily divided to spread around your garden or to share with friends and neighbors!

Division can be done at any time of the year, but spring is best. To divide plants, simply dig up a clump, carefully divide the root ends into several sections, and replant.

how do i breed

Spring onions are very resilient. They grow in almost all soil conditions and even tolerate drought.

That being said, providing nutrient rich soil in full sun with plenty of water will certainly help produce a superior crop.

Plants will benefit from regular watering, as well as adding liquid fertilizer like comfrey tea or fish fertilizer every few weeks.

To make a homemade comfrey tea fertilizer, cut up a bunch of comfrey leaves and place them in a 5-gallon bucket of water. Wait a few days, strain, and this nutrient-dense “tea” is ready to use on your plants. Be warned, it smells pretty strong!

Full brewing instructions can be found here.

It is also important to keep the area around your plants free of weeds. Surrounding them with a thick layer of mulch is an ideal way to keep weeds down and the soil moist.

growing tips

Apply a thick layer of mulch over the plants in the fall in preparation for winter. This protects the plants in cold weather and helps stimulate an earlier harvest. Remove the mulch in spring once the soil has warmed.

Try to plant every three to four weeks in a row for a continuous supply!

You can also try heaping plants with soil as they grow, piling them a few inches higher with each addition. This forces the leaves to grow higher on the plant, resulting in long, blanched stems and much longer edible greens.

pests

We’ll start with the most common insect pests that can plague your crops, identifying information, ways to control them, and avoid infestation.

Allium leaf miners

These little flies lay their eggs in the leaves of Allium plants and can eat down to the roots, creating small white spots along the leaf tips.

The wounds left by the mines can be rotted by fungi or bacteria, which can ultimately destroy the plant. Once the miners have dug into the crops, there’s little you can do.

This is a relatively new pest in the US that is still being researched, with the first confirmed infestation in the western hemisphere in 2015 in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.

The best method of dealing with these insects is prevention, by adjusting plants to avoid infestation as part of an integrated pest management program. You can also use row covers to prevent flies from laying eggs on plants.

Read more about identifying and controlling allium leaf miners here.

thrips

These tiny insects create blotchy streaks on the tops of plants and cause deformities in the leaves.

Spray leaves with a strong jet of water in the late morning to remove insects. You can also coat each leaf with a homemade insecticidal soap.

Read more about dealing with thrips infestation here.

illness

Several types of diseases can affect your crop, especially when plants become weakened and more vulnerable due to insect infestations or weather changes.

white rot

This soil-borne fungus can affect all plants in the Allium family. The disease causes white mold to form at the base of the roots, which sometimes ruins plants.

Practice crop rotation to reduce the spread of disease. However, keep in mind that it is not always possible to prevent a recurrence, as white rot can live in the soil for 8 to 20 years.

Be careful not to use starts or seeds that have become infected.

Wrong mildew

Powdery mildew can leave fuzzy growths on the leaves, causing them to turn yellow or brown and collapse.

Avoid planting infected sets, rotate crops regularly in areas where no other Allium species have been grown in recent years, and plant in well-drained soil.

Botrytis leaf blight

This is a foliar disease that causes small white spots on the leaves and causes the tips to wilt and die. Eventually, this can cause all the leaves to die off. Wet weather can cause spores to germinate and spread quickly.

Destroy any infected plants and reduce the risk of spread by moving to areas where no other Allium species have been grown in recent years.

harvest

Plants can be harvested in two ways: you can grow whole plants and eat them like scallions, or you can snip leaves as needed during the growing season, more like chives. The leaves grow back quickly and can be cut several times during the season.

I prefer to stick with the snipping method mainly, only uprooting a few plants here and there once a bed is well established. This way I can ensure that this hardy perennial will continue to thrive and produce year after year with no extra work for me!

Harvesting can begin any time after the plants have reached a height of 10-15 cm. The bigger they get, the stronger the flavor!

When growing whole plants, you should wait four to five months from seed to harvest for them to reach full maturity.

In warm climates, this plant can be harvested all year round.

For the first year, don’t start harvesting until mid-summer, being careful not to over-harvest to give young plants a chance to develop strong roots. You should also remove flower heads as they form, unless you plan on storing seeds or enjoying the flowers in your kitchen.

Maintain

Spring onions can be stored in the fresh food drawer of your refrigerator for up to 10 days. They can also be easily frozen or dried for longer shelf life.

Freeze

Wash greens thoroughly and lay out to dry. Next, chop them into small rings of any thickness.

That’s pretty much it! They don’t need to be blanched before freezing, just pack them in freezer containers, bags or jars. Whenever you need a few to cook with, just grab a handful and throw them straight into your meal.

dry

This is perhaps my favorite way of preserving this plant. Because the greens tend to dry out fairly quickly, can be stored for years, and take up very little shelf space, drying is a prudent way to ensure a bountiful harvest.

Start by washing and chopping the vegetables, then let them air dry. Use a dehydrator or place in the oven on the lowest heat setting until there is no moisture left.

For more information on dehydrating the bounty of the garden, visit our sister site Foodal.

I like to put them in the oven on the “Keep Warm” setting, but if that’s not a feature your oven has, just use the lowest temperature available. They dry quickly so check them often!

Recipes and cooking ideas

Delicious on their own or as an addition to a main course, these spicy green leaves are a perfect addition to any meal.

Try dipping crunchy veggies in a cooling scallion dip on a warm day, or warm up with a sweet and savory bowl of scallion soup on a chilly evening.

Use them to add a deliciously crunchy flavor to salads and sandwiches, flavor broths, enhance stir-fries and add a lively garnish to your dinner.

Foodal has a useful guide on how to prepare and use spring onions.

Try some delicious spring onion frittatas. This fun recipe from Foodal combines fresh spring onions, peas and feta to create mini frittatas in muffin tins.

Quick Reference Growth Chart

Plant Type: Perennial Bulb Tolerance: Drought tolerant Native to: China but naturalized worldwide Growth Rate: Fastest in cool weather Hardiness (USDA Zone): 5-9 Care: Off Season: Spring to Fall Soil Type: Nutrient rich, tolerates poor soil Exposure: Full sun to Partial shade Soil pH: 6.0 to 7.0 Time to maturity: 4-5 months Soil drainage: Well-draining Spacing: 2-3 inches Companion planting: Beets, peppers, spinach, lettuce, turnips, and parsnips Planting depth: 1/ 4-1/2 in. Avoid planting with: Other alliums to avoid the spread of pests and diseases and cross-pollination Height: 10 to 14 in. depending on cultivar Family: Amaryllidaceae Distribution: Will spread further if none Genus contained or drawn is: Leek Water requirements: Regular watering Species: fistulosum Common pests: Leek leaf miners, armyworms, turnip armyworms, nematodes, snails, thrips. Common diseases: leaf blight, downy mildew, maggots, throat rot, white rot

Grow yourself a bundle

Spring onions, Welsh onions, spring onions – whatever you want to call them, there really is no downside to growing a bunch of these hardy alliums in your garden.

They are so easy to grow and care for, and if you do it right, you can get a harvest from the same plants year after year.

Spring onions, or sibies, or scallions as they are also known, are an amazing vegetable that you can grow yourself at home. Spring onions are very popular in the culinary and gardening world. They grow fast, are easy to grow and delicious. They tend to have a milder flavor than onions, which makes them great for eating raw and adding to salads, as a garnish, in soups, stir-fries, the list could really go on. Like so many other vegetables, they are loved by experienced and novice gardeners alike for their ease of cultivation and versatility. Experienced gardeners will also grow them because they are an ideal “filler crop” to grow among slower-growing vegetables.

They’re great for beginners to try if it’s their first foray into the home garden, as they grow so fast you can afford a false start or two. Don’t let that put you off though, follow our guide and you’ll get it right the first time. This guide is for spring onions grown at home from seed in the ground. We cover everything from the beginning, from sowing the seeds, to transplanting and care, to harvesting and enjoying. Ready? Let’s get into that.

Whether you’re cooking up an Asian feast, garnishing a salad, or assembling an omelet, scallions are a great vegetable to keep on hand. But like a bag of store-bought herbs, using the whole bundle can be difficult and they often end up in the trash.

Spring onions are easy to regrow at home and, just like herbs, can be chopped as needed.

All you need is a bunch of spring onions from the supermarket, a pot and some potting soil.

Cut the spring onions about two to three centimeters from the root. Use the stems in whatever you cook, then simply plant the root pieces in a pot of potting soil. The roots should go into the ground with a small portion of the stem still visible above the ground. Water regularly and let it grow. Once they are fully grown, you can snip at the base as needed. Leave the roots in the ground and they will regrow about 4 more times before you have to start the process again. You can also let one of the spring bulbs continue to grow, bloom and produce seeds.

If you don’t have soil, you can also grow them in water.

Cut the spring onions about two to three centimeters from the root. Place the root end of your cutting in a small container of water. Keep it in a sunny part of your home or outside on a balcony. Keep the roots submerged in water and change the water once a week.

Similar links

Watch our video on growing tomatoes from seed

Learn how to compost at home with our short video

This blog was originally published in February 2019 and updated in April 2020.

I’ve been cultivating store-bought spring onions/salad onions for about 10 years. If you buy a pack with those scrawny little white roots still attached (most have them), you can place them in water and let them regrow.

It occurred to me today that this is very easy to do at this particular time, even in self-isolation, to keep your spring onions going. Kids would probably love to do it. Best of all, after you cut your first crop, they grow back! You should get multiple harvests in a single season. They will be dormant in winter but come back in spring.

Note that these won’t grow into the same firm spring onion that you originally bought, but they will produce giant, hollow chives that are absolutely delicious in salads, mashed into potatoes, or finely chopped and sprinkled over stews and casseroles. You can see mine in the photo to the left. I planted them for the first time last year and they are still doing well in their pot this year.

I don’t actually have any spring onions from the store at the moment, otherwise I’d photograph the process, but it’s dead easy and this is how I’ve been doing it for years:

Buy spring onions with their little white hairy roots still attached, like the ones in the picture to the right (which I borrowed from the Ocado website). If they were truncated, this will not work.

Once you have your spring onions at home, cut off the last 3-4 cm (just over an inch) where the roots are still hanging. Place them in a glass or jug ​​of cold water (a glass or jug ​​is better than a cup so you can watch what happens). You only need enough water to cover the roots and part of the stem.

In a few days, new, healthy white roots will appear and begin to grow. When the new roots reach a good size (I find anything over 3-4cm in length works) you can plant them in your garden or in pots (or the bottoms of used plastic bottles, with holes in the bottom for drainage).

When you plant them, make sure that while the roots are below the surface, a bit of greenery is left and sticks out. Water well and keep moist, but do not drown. In just a few weeks they will start to grow and when they reach a good height you can cut and eat them. Best of all, they grow back! The photo at the top of the page shows the ones I planted last year and are still eating today (literally – they’re going to be sprinkled over the homemade curry tonight to give it a bit of pizzazz without the cilantro). .

QUESTION: – What happens if you leave onions in the ground? – Tamara W.

ANSWER: – If you forget to harvest your bulbs and leave them in the ground to overwinter, one of three things will likely happen to them. Some will rot, others will start growing back in spring only to bloom quickly, and some will begin to separate into garlic-like clusters that can be planted and used to grow spring bulbs in spring. While overwintered onion sets are great for growing spring onions, they should be avoided when trying to grow full bulb bulbs as these cuttings flower quickly. When bulbs bloom, the plant focuses all of its energy on producing the flower instead of focusing its energy on strengthening its root system and forming bulbs.

If you want to grow full-size bulbous bulbs, you should start with seedlings and as you thin out, allow each plant plenty of room to develop bulbs without encroaching on their neighbor’s space. If you enjoy growing spring onions, leaving a few bulbs in the ground at the end of each growing season is probably a good decision. If not, you should harvest your onions when the onions have stopped growing.

With spring onions, you can start harvesting when the leaves are changing color and the bulb tips are beginning to fall over. Some onion growers say to wait until about half of the onion tips have fallen over and then harvest the entire onion crop. Others suggest harvesting onions more on a case-by-case basis, looking for a weak point in the onion tips. Finding the weak spot in your onion tips is an easy way to be sure the onions have stopped developing.

In general, it is frowned upon to leave bulbs in the ground past their harvest date, as the bulbs left in the ground are only good for growing spring bulbs and can bloom quickly if they grow back in spring. However, this doesn’t mean that you have to harvest all your onions if half the tops have flopped. Leaving some bulbs in the ground a few weeks longer could result in larger bulbs as some bulbs develop more slowly than others. Depending on the weather in your area, it may be wise to leave your bulbs in the ground a little longer than recommended.

Some onion growers suggest waiting until 80 to 90 percent of your onion tops have fallen over and then waiting another 10 days to allow the bulbs to fully develop before harvesting. Another good onion harvesting tip is to wait for the soil to dry out between rains before attempting to harvest your onions. Waiting for the soil to dry makes harvesting your bulbs a lot easier, and it also gives time for the tops to dry out before curing and storing, helping you preserve your bulbs longer.

To get the best information possible about growing onions in your area, reach out to other onion growers in your area and ask them when they generally plan to start harvesting their onions and what their experiences are with growing onions for the late leaving crops in the ground.

If you leave some of your bulbs in the ground at the end of the season so that you can grow spring onions from the cuttings in the upcoming spring season, simply leave some bulbs in the ground and dig them up once the ground starts to thaw in early spring. The onion sets you’re looking for have multiplied and are starting to split, much like garlic cloves separate. You should dig up these seedlings, separate them by hand, and plant them in the spring about five weeks before the last frost date in your area.

Learn more about growing onions

https://findanyanswer.com/can-you-leave-onions-in-the-ground

https://www.gardenguides.com/13427397-how-to-grow-an-endless-supply-of-onions.html

https://www.growveg.com/guides/the-art-of-harvesting-onions/

https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=15408

https://www.highmowingseeds.com/blog/time-to-plant-fall-onions-shallots-for-overwintering/

Choosing the right companion plants for onions is easy and means you can grow more of them and have better quality too. Certain combinations of plants grown together can even provide a healthier growing environment. Stick to a few tried and tested combinations and you’ll be boosting your onion harvest in no time.

Onions beat their weight when it comes to companion planting. Because they’re a natural pest deterrent, keeping aphids and other problem bugs at bay, there’s a long list of other plants that people enjoy mixing with them.

They also make great planting companions as they can enhance the flavor of other plants in their vicinity. Find out what other vegetables, herbs, and flowers make good companion plants for onions and help attract beneficial insects and also yield the best harvest.

Not all plants make good companions, however, as some varieties (like, surprisingly, spring onions and chives, despite being members of the same family) don’t get along when planted together.

So when you’re learning how to grow onions, make sure you know the best companion plants for them so you can plan some combinations that really work.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Why should you use companion plants for onions?

It’s a tried and tested formula: Plant your onion crop alongside a variety of herbs, flowers or vegetables known to benefit them as they grow, and reap the fruit with a bumper crop of healthy veggies for the pot. Onions are great companion plants to help their neighbors avoid pests and keep fungal infections at bay.

Planting onions with the right companions will reduce the chances of your veg being attacked by pests like onion maggots. Try different combinations and arrangements of bulb companion plants and choose a layout that also complements the look of your raised bed ideas. It’s also important to grow crops that don’t compete for nutrients.

The best companion plants for bulbs also help create a balanced ecosystem in your garden that encourages lush growth and enhances the flavor of your produce. Adding companion plants to bulbs is a natural way to control pests and diseases while helping to encourage diversity of beneficials to enhance the garden plot.

Find out which bulbs are the most popular to plant next to them and give your crop a head start for your best growing season ever.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Best herbal companion plants for onions

Certain herbs can be an excellent option for onion companions. Their scent can both attract pollinators and deter pests that can destroy your onion crop. Try adding one or more of these to your kitchen garden ideas.

1. Chamomile

(Credit: Hannares/Moment/Getty Images)

In addition to its antibacterial and antifungal properties, chamomile also improves the flavor of onions when planted nearby, and their daisy-like flowers are pretty to look at too. This makes them a great choice when it comes to choosing companion plants for bulbs.

Chamomile is often recommended as a companion plant in the vegetable garden, as its sweet scent welcomes beneficial pollinators and keeps pests away.

2. Savory

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Plant some savory around your onions and it can encourage their growth and help make them taste sweeter. Savory loves well-drained soil and lots of sun, just like onions, so they’re natural partners.

Savory looks a bit like thyme and has a similar peppery taste. There is also a winter variety that has a much stronger flavor.

If you want to learn how to start an herb garden, savory makes an unusual choice to add to the mix.

3. Mint

(Credit: Victorburnside/iStock/Getty Images)

If you’re also learning how to grow mint, then you might want to know that its aromatic leaves help confuse and deter onion flies, so it’s great to grow alongside your onion crop.

Consider planting it in pots to disperse near your bulbs rather than in the ground as it is quite common if you don’t restrain it.

Best floral companion plants for bulbs

There are some flowers that work well alongside your bulb crops. Not only can they help improve your bulbs, they will also be a pretty decoration in your potager garden.

1. Marigolds

(Image credit: Jonathan Buckley for Sarah Raven)

Marigolds are great companion plants for bulbs. Grow them among your vegetables as they are known to repel aphids due to their strong smell which acts as a natural deterrent.

These heavily scented flowers are useful for attracting beneficial insects that can also pollinate your vegetable patch, as well as feeding on the various pests that can cause problems with your fresh produce.

Find out how to grow marigolds and you’ll be helping your bulbs in no time. The good news is that once established, you need very little interaction with marigolds as they are a low maintenance choice for summer planting.

2. Roses

(Image credit: Thompson & Morgan)

Planting bulbs between your rose plants can be an easy way to deter pests from attacking your roses. The strong scent of the onions can be used as a method of controlling aphids as it helps mask the scent of the roses. This creates confusion for pests, thus providing some protection for your prized buds.

Best vegetable companion plants for onions

Are you looking for other vegetables to grow alongside your onions? These options will grow well alongside your onion crop and can offer many benefits as well.

1. Cabbage

(Image credit: Thicha Wat/500px/500Px Plus/Getty Images)

Plants from the entire cabbage family, which includes broccoli, kale, cauliflower, turnips, kohlrabi, and Brussels sprouts, make excellent companion plants for onions as they like the same soil conditions and sunny spot in the garden.

The cabbage benefits from this because onions are good at repelling cabbage worms, weevils and cabbage maggots. The scent of onions also helps deter rabbits roaming the vegetable patch from looking for leafy greens to munch through.

Learn everything you need to know about growing cabbage and growing winter cabbage for more expert growing tips.

2. Carrots

(Credit: mrs/Moment/Getty Images)

When learning how to grow carrots, planting onions and scallions is a classic combination that has stood the test of time. The smell of onions deters the carrot root fly, while the smell of the carrots helps deter the onion fly, so both plants benefit from mating.

Check out our dedicated guide for more tips on the best companion plants for carrots.

3. Leek

(Image credit: Johner Images/Getty Images)

While the rest of the onion family is taboo, leeks make a good companion plant for onions due to their similar nutritional needs. Leeks are also effective in confusing onion flies.

Check out more tips on growing leeks and give your veggie patch a head start.

4. Beets

(Credit: Paul Maguire/Alamy Stock Photo)

Beets benefit greatly from co-planting with onions and vice versa. Onions can be a natural deterrent to garden pests like aphids and beet flea beetles, as well as rabbits, who happily eat them.

Mixing beets with onions also helps protect the onions from thrips. This is a small, black-winged insect that sucks plant sap and can be a serious nuisance to bulbs when present in large numbers. Learn more about how to grow beets if you want a successful harvest.

5. Lettuce

(Credit: Alamy)

Sometimes companion plants are also about how to best use the space, especially if you’re looking for small vegetable garden ideas. Lettuce and onion crops can be happily planted side by side without competing for resources, allowing you to make the most of the growing space in your vegetable garden.

Upright bulbs use underground space to grow, with their roots reaching into the soil so planting shallow rooted lettuce between rows works well and also reduces the amount of weeding needed as their broad leaves cover the ground and act as a weed suppressor. It’s a win-win situation.

6. Tomatoes

(Credit: Kriswanto Ginting/Getty)

Onions could soon be your new best friend when you learn how to grow tomatoes. Due to their strong smell, onions help deter aphids and Japanese beetles, which will help prevent destruction of your tomato plants.

You can also find more tips on our top companion plants for tomatoes in our dedicated guide.

What not to plant with onions

Although onions love to grow alongside many other plants, there are some they don’t get along with.

Some vegetables compete for space, light, water, and soil nutrients. Or in some cases, they attract insects that are harmful. This means they are not great companion plants for bulbs.

So when choosing companion plants for bulbs, stay away from the following:

Other plants in the onion family, such as garlic and shallots, are also common targets of onion maggots. Avoid planting them near bulbs so that onion maggots cannot easily spread from plant to plant if they are close together. For tips on the best methods for growing garlic, check out our guide.

Chives are also a close relative of the onion family and for the same reasons other members of their family are not good neighbors and onions fall into this category.

Most varieties of peas and beans are harmful if planted near bulbs. Beans are considered allelopathic plants, meaning they produce biochemicals that can stunt the growth of other plants. Beans and peas do not mix well with members of the onion family, including onions, leeks, chives, and garlic.

Sage has some strong dislikes when it comes to companion plants, and that includes bulbs. Onions prefer moist soil, which doesn’t work for sage as it likes a drier growing medium.

Learning how to grow asparagus? Avoid growing with onions. Grown together in the same bed, stunting can occur as they like different conditions. This means that one may thrive and the other may not.

Spring onions are fast-growing onion varieties that are harvested small. The spring onion has a mildly sweet flavor and is a good source of vitamins A, B and C. Both the green leaves and the bulbs are used in cooking and can be eaten raw or cooked.

Prepare

Spring onions are relatively easy to grow, taking just a few months to mature compared to twice that of onions. Spring onions need full sun and well-cultivated fertile soil.

In our planting calendar you can find out when you should plant spring onions in your region.

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As with building a house, a good foundation is key to success in your garden. The better the soil, the better your plants will grow. If you are starting with an existing garden bed, dig organic material such as Tui Sheep Pellets and Tui Compost into your soil. Then you can add a layer of Tui vegetable mixture. When planting in pots and tubs, fill with Tui vegetable mixture.

The best planting times are early in the morning or late in the day so that the plants are not immediately exposed to the hot sun. Always water the plants well before and after planting.

Planting in garden beds

Water and drain plants thoroughly before planting.

Dig a hole about twice as deep and wide as your plant’s root ball.

Partially fill the hole with Tui vegetable mix.

Carefully loosen the root ball of your plant and position the plant in the center of the hole.

Fill with Tui vegetable mixture.

Gently press the soil around the base of the plant.

Water your plant well.

Plants in pots and tubs

Thoroughly water and drain plants before potting.

Partially fill your container with Tui vegetable mix.

Carefully loosen the root ball of your plant and position the plant in the container.

Fill your container with Tui vegetable mix to 3cm from the top.

Gently tap the container on the bottom to settle the mixture.

Gently press the soil around the base of the plant.

Water your plant well.

Protect your plants from the elements with layers of Tui pea straw mulch to keep their roots moist and your garden weed free.

nurture

Feed your plants and they will feed you. Plants consume nutrients from the soil as they grow. So by replenishing the nutrients, you ensure your green onions are growing to their full potential. Choose a fertilizer specially blended for your crop, such as Tui Vegetable Food.

Fertilize spring onions in pots and tubs with Tui NovaTec Premium fertilizer.

Well-watered, well-nourished scallions stand a better chance of keeping insect pests and diseases at bay. While your spring onions are growing, give them a regular dose of Tui Organic Algae Herbal Tonic to give them a welcome boost.

Cut spring onions at the base when you are ready to harvest and if you leave the roots in the ground they will grow back.

The idea of ​​regrowing your food might sound too good to be true. While there are certain foods that you can’t grow from waste, in some cases you really can. You can often regrow many fruits and vegetables from waste with minimal effort. Not only can you save money, but you can also enjoy the freshest possible products straight from your home garden. And you can choose your favorite growing methods, e.g. B. Organic gardening. Check out this step-by-step guide to regrowing common foods.

Green Onions

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Cut the onions. Remove the stems from the spring onion, leaving the bulb and roots intact, leaving about an inch (2.5 cm) of the stems. Plant the bulbs Plant the bulbs root side down either in a container with drainage holes or directly in your garden soil. Make sure the planting area gets at least six hours of sunlight per day. Cover the bulbs completely with nutrient-rich, well-drained soil, but leave the short stems sticking out of the soil. Water regularly Water your bulbs when the soil starts to dry out, but don’t let the bulbs sit in moist soil. You should see noticeable stem regrowth within a few days. Cut stems as needed To harvest, simply cut off as many stems as you need.

Tips for growing spring onions

The spring onion bulbs should regrow their stems in about a week. And as long as you keep the bulbs planted and water them regularly, they will continue to grow bulbs back. Expect three to four harvests from your bulbs before you need to plant new ones.

celery

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Cut off the bottom Cut off the bottom inch of a bunch of celery. Place the soil in a bowl of water. Place the celery base in a bowl, cut side up. Then add some water to the bowl, just enough to cover the bottom of the celery. Put the bowl in the sun and wait. Put the bowl in a sunny spot and wait for leaves and roots to form. This should only take a few days. Plant the Celery Once roots have established, plant the celery in a container with drainage holes or directly in your garden. Cover everything but the leaves with rich, well-drained soil and make sure the celery gets at least six hours of sunlight most days. Waiting for your harvest Wait for the celery stalks to grow back. Then cut off as much as you need. As long as you keep the roots in the ground, your celery should regrow several times.

Tips for growing celery

Keep your celery soil moist but not soggy. Also, celery plants prefer cool weather, so make sure you get your shade from the hot afternoon sun. Wait until the stalks are about 3 inches tall before you start harvesting, and expect to wait a few months for full stalks to grow.

Ginger

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Soak and Cut the Ginger Soak your ginger overnight. Then cut them into pieces, making sure there are a few growth buds on each piece. These are the little bumps at the end of each finger. Planting the Ginger Plant your ginger about 2 inches deep in a pot or your garden soil with the growth buds pointing up or to the side. You don’t want them pointing down. The soil should be rich and loose, and the planting site should get partial to full sun. Water and Harvest Regularly Ginger likes to have soil that is always moist but not soggy. Shoots should start to sprout from the soil in a couple of weeks, but you’ll need to wait three to four months for there to be enough growth to harvest. To harvest, simply dig up one of your rhizomes (pieces) and cut off what you need.

Tips for growing ginger

When harvesting, work from the edge of your pot or planting area to gently lift the rhizomes. Take what you need and replant the ginger. As long as you continue to provide the plant with the right growing environment, you should have a steady supply of ginger.

lettuce

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Cut off the bottom. Trim the bottom of your lettuce, leaving about an inch of the leaves. Then place this piece in a shallow bowl of water near a sunny window. Watch the lettuce grow. Change the water every few days. Within a week, roots will begin to form, and the leaves should produce noticeable growth. Picking the leaves In a little less than two weeks, the leaves have reached their maximum size and are ready to be picked.

Tips for growing lettuce

Lettuce grown this way will not grow as large as it originally did. So don’t hesitate to harvest after about 10 to 12 days. After this, the plant tries to flower and set seeds, and the leaves become bitter.

pineapple

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Cut off the pineapple. Cut off the top (crown) of your pineapple about half an inch below the leaves. Then gently scoop the fruit from the underside to reveal the root buds (the little dots on the outer edge). Strip the leaves and set them aside. Peel off some of the bottom leaves to reveal an inch or two of the stem and set aside for a few days to allow the cut side to heal and dry. Plant the Pineapple Plant your pineapple crown in fertile soil that drains well. Make sure it’s in a sunny spot that gets at least six hours of light a day. Unless you live in a tropical area, plant your pineapples in a container that you can move indoors to a sunny window during cold weather. Water and fertilize regularly Keep the plant constantly moist during root formation. In a few months, you should be back to watering about once a week. Fertilize monthly in spring and summer. Expect it to take two to three years for fruit to develop.

Tips for growing pineapple

Not every pineapple plant will end up bearing fruit, but they still offer interesting foliage with their long, sword-shaped leaves. If you get fruit, wait for the pineapple skin to turn from brown to yellow before harvesting. Then simply saw off the fruit from your plant.

potatoes

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Cut a piece from your potato. Acquire a potato that begins to sprout (form “eyes”). Then cut a 1-inch piece from the potato that includes an eye or two. Wait for the piece to dry. Give the piece a day or two to dry out and coat the skin. Plant the piece. Then plant the potato piece about 3 inches deep in a well-draining pot or soil with the eye (or eyes) up and water well. The planting site or pot should have loose, slightly acidic soil and receive at least six hours of sunlight per day. Water your potatoes when the soil starts to dry out. You should see green shoots growing out of the soil in a few weeks, which will form a bushy plant. Harvest The potatoes should be ready for harvest in about 20 weeks. You’ll know it’s time when the leaves above the ground turn yellow and die back. Simply dig up the potatoes, brush off any soil, let them dry out on the ground for at least a few hours if possible, then store in a cool, dry place.

Tips for growing potatoes

Small potato varieties ripen faster than large potatoes. If you don’t plan on eating the potatoes right away, wait a few weeks after the leaves have died to dig them up. Also, be careful not to puncture the skin when removing it from the ground, as this may cause the potatoes to rot before you eat them.

sweet potatoes

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Bury a sweet potato in soil Bury all or part of a clean sweet potato under a thin layer of soil. Keep the soil moist and warm. Wait for the cuttings (sprouts) to grow out of the sweet potato and grow at least 4 inches tall. This can take a few weeks. 30 to 50 offshoots can be produced from each potato. Remove the slips Gently twist each slip off the potato at the base. Then place the slips of paper in a shallow container of water with the bottom submerged. Roots should develop within a week. Plant the cuttings When the roots are a few inches long, the cuttings can be planted. Sweet potatoes need loose, well-drained soil. Carefully place each note in a hole and cover the bottom half with dirt. Then water the plants well and continue watering when the soil begins to dry out. In a few weeks you will see green shoots turning into lush tendrils. Harvest As soon as the foliage turns yellow, it’s time to harvest. It typically takes between 100 and 140 days for sweet potatoes to mature.

Tips for growing sweet potatoes

When growing outdoors, sweet potatoes need to be harvested before the first frost in your area for best results. Avoid watering for about a week before harvest. Then, marinate your sweet potatoes in a warm, dry place for at least 10 days before eating.

Enjoy the satisfaction of home gardening

These are just some of the foods you can regrow from leftovers. Some are more time consuming than others. And some may not produce food equivalent to what you get at the grocery store. But if you enjoy the satisfaction of growing something yourself, you really don’t have much to lose by planting a leftover that you would otherwise have thrown away.

Growing onions is pretty easy from a gardening standpoint, but did you know that you can also regrow spring onions in water?

In times like these, when some groceries are scarce, knowing how to get more bang for your buck is a win for everyone! Using parts of an onion to grow it back is a real bargain.

This gardening hack is one that kids will love to help out with. Kids are usually quite impatient, but spring onions grow back very quickly so they don’t have to wait for results!

If you use a lot of onions in your recipes, you should also check out my post on growing onions indoors. There are 6 ideas for other ways to grow onions and other kitchen garden hacks.

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Some of the links below are affiliate links. I get a small commission at no additional cost to you if you buy through one of these links.

What are spring onions?

With the common name, one would expect this bulb to grow in spring. And you’re partly right!

Spring onions are planted as seedlings in the late autumn months and then harvested the following spring. They are sweeter and milder than regular onions, but the green has a more intense flavor than spring onions.

You can also grow spring onions from seed starting in early spring to have a less developed bulb throughout the summer.

The spring onion plant consists of two parts, a white lower part that contains the roots and the green upper part that grows above the ground on a long stalk.

Both parts can be used in recipes and have slightly different flavors. It is very easy to grow spring onions.

There are many types of onions that home cooks use on a weekly basis. Spring onions are just one of them. Find out more about the onion varieties here.

I always use spring onions when I cook. They have a very mild flavor that’s perfect as a side dish and also makes a nice sauce for most proteins. That’s why I like to have them on hand.

A few years ago I watched The Next Food Network Star show and one of their quick challenges was to give a quick kitchen tip. One of the participants talked about growing spring onions in water so you never have to buy them again.

I had my doubts but gave the project a try and found it worked like a charm! Not only that, it’s an easy project that the kids will have fun helping with and bringing the outdoors inside as well.

What if you don’t have a yard to grow spring onions outside? That does not matter. You can actually regrow store-bought scallions as long as they still have some roots on each plant.

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Here’s how to regrow spring onions in water.

This trick works for all types of these bulbs, whether they’re spring onions, scallions, or scallions. The only difference is whether you have a large or a narrower onion area in the water.

The main difference from regrowing spring onions is that you won’t get as many in a slender jar as you would without the enlarged end, but with this method all will easily sprout the green area.

Sort out your onions or scallions, making sure all onions have at least a few roots growing from the bottom. Take out any that don’t and save for later cooking. The longer the roots, the better for rapid growth.

Cut off the tops of the onions and place them in a glass of plain water, with the water just above the point where the onions start to turn green.

I find that the water stays fresher longer when I don’t have it all the way up where the green tips are.

Any type of clear glass will work. Mason jars are decorative, small clear vases will work, or even a simple clear water glass.

You’ll want to see what happens when the spring onions grow back.

Since you need spring onions for cooking, simply cut off the green part of the onions above the waterline and leave the bottom in the onion jar.

Change the water when it starts to get a little choppy. Every other day works for me.

If possible, place the container near a sunny window so that the bulbs get some light.

In a few days, the onions will start growing again from the cut area. You can re-cut over and over again! Free Onions Forever! (As long as you remember to change the water.)

My first shoots appeared in about 3 days.

Spring onions are just one type of so-called cut vegetable. Other vegetables that will grow back are Swiss chard, lettuce, and spinach.

My daughter knows how much I love regrowing spring onions in water. She gave me a small onion jar to store my sliced ​​onions in until they grow back.

This small vase is ideal for spring onions that have a more prominent white bulb area. They just sit in it next to each other and I use the green parts to cook Asian dishes.

It’s not uncommon for me to have a couple of jars of scallions or scallions and my little dish of scallions. I just love how they taste, so I keep growing them!

It only takes a few days to see the new growth, and in about a week you’ll have a bunch of new scallion shoots.

These are the roots of the spring onions after almost 10 days. They are so much longer than when I put them in the water jug!

The beauty of this project is that you can do it over and over again. Regrowing spring onions means you’ll never have to buy them again!

Just make sure you change the water every few days. If you don’t do this, the entire bottom area will become rotten and mushy. Spring onions are so easy to grow back!

Why aren’t my spring onions growing back?

If you’re having trouble getting the spring onions to regrow, it could be due to one of the following:

The water is dirty. Be sure to change it every few days

You cut them too close to the root. Leave some of the white part for best results

Not enough water. If the onion water is too low, the onions will dry out and not grow.

Too much water. The water level should not be too high. Cover only the bottom area and allow the new growth to emerge above the water.

Not enough sunlight. Move closer to a sunny window. Plants need some light to grow.

How many times can you regrow spring onions?

The answer to this question depends on how meticulous you are about changing the water. In theory, the bulbs will grow out of the cut area as long as the water is replaced every few days.

My experience is that I am forgetful and sometimes take more than a few days before changing the water. The longer you let the water become cloudy, the less viable the onion bottoms will become.

Be careful not to put too much water in the green area. This will make the onions soft and mushy and you will have to throw them away.

But at least you get a lot of slices of the onions, even if you’re a bit forgetful.

Pin these spring onion regrowth tips

Want to be reminded of this post with tips on how to regrow spring onions in water? Just pin this image to one of your gardening boards on Pinterest for easy reference later.

Admin’s Note: This post first appeared on the blog in October 2017. I’ve updated the post for you with new photos, more information about spring onions, a printable project card, and a video.

For more garden hacks, check out my Garden Art and Recycling Board on Pinterest.

If you enjoyed this project, why not try growing onions indoors in a water bottle?

Yield: Never buy spring onions again! How to Regrow Spring Onions in Water Spring onions are a great cut and return vegetable. If you put the roots in water, they will grow and you can just keep using the green parts. See how it’s done in this fun project the kids will love. Active Time 10 minutes Total Time 10 minutes Difficulty Easy Estimated Cost $3 Materials Clear glass or vase

Bunch of spring onions

Water Tools scissors Instructions Sort the bulbs and discard those that don’t have at least a few roots on the white end. Cut off the tops of the onions so they are all the same length. Place them in a jar or clear vase and add water just above the white part of the onion. Replace the water with fresh water every other day. Place the jar near a sunny window. In a few days, the roots will begin to grow. You can cut off the green part of the spring onion to use in cooking. New shoots will begin to grow in about 3 days. Cut again and again for recipes. Now you have an endless supply of spring onions from just one batch. Be sure to keep changing the water or the onions will get mushy.

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7 foods you don’t need to buy organic

One of the pillars of health is eating the best quality possible. Realistically, however, few of us can fill our shopping carts with anything other than local, organic, pesticide-free, grass-fed, pasture-raised, wild-caught, non-GMO foods. Top-tier options may not be available year-round where you live, and even if they are, they may not fit your budget.

Most people have to decide where it’s worth investing in organic and where it’s okay to choose less than perfect but still perfect conventional options. I’ve already covered the top 10 foods you should aim to buy organic. Today I’m going to try to make things a little easier by providing a list of foods that are good in their traditional form.

That’s not to say that you shouldn’t buy these items organic if you can access and afford them. Some would argue that even if the following conventional foods are relatively safe, you should still buy organic to support organic producers and protect the environment from exposure to agricultural chemicals. That’s absolutely right and one of the reasons why I try to buy organic, but that’s a topic for another time. Today’s goal is to help you prioritize where to spend your hard-earned cash while maximizing your health and that of your family.

So, what everyday staples can you buy conventionally?

coconut and coconut products

Prehistoric people love our coconut. We fry it with coconut oil and spread it on vegetables, sweet potatoes, hair, skin and armpits. We make smoothies and curries with coconut milk and cream. We’re obsessed with coconut butter, and we’re paying tribute to its fame with a greasy spoonful. And when we’re running or exercising particularly hard, coconut water provides much-needed electrolytes.

Luckily for us, it doesn’t look like organic coconut makes much of a difference over conventional coconut. Several studies have looked for pesticide residues in coconut products and come up practically empty handed. There’s this study from 2010 that found no pesticide residues in raw coconut oil. Polyaromatic hydrocarbons, which are produced during the flash drying process of coconut meat and are carcinogenic, have been detected in crude coconut oil but are removed in the refining process. Unrefined coconut oil can still contain these hydrocarbons unless it is wet-milled and processed without rapidly drying the pulp. However, this applies to both organic and conventional coconut oil.

Other studies have found low or undetectable levels of pesticides in coconut pulp, crude and refined coconut oil, and coconut water.

Coconut milk will also be as pesticide-free as any other coconut product. Since it’s fresh pulp and not dried, heat-treated stuff, coconut milk should also be free of polyaromatic hydrocarbons.

Onions don’t have to be organic

Not only do onions make you cry because you cut them, they also make pests cry just thinking about eating them. Onions are naturally resistant to pests, so there’s no need to douse them with tons of pesticides. Big Agra may cut corners and put profit over quality or consumer health, but that just means they won’t spend the money on chemicals if they don’t have to. They’re not cartoon villains dumping kegs of harmful endocrine disruptors and carcinogens on their crops to punish us.

Onions consistently top the EWG’s Clean 15 list. Most of the 333 chemicals that the USDA tests as part of its Pesticide Data Program (PDP) are undetectable on onions year after year. The small minority that show up in testing all come well under EPA tolerance levels.

From a health perspective, too, organic onions have very few, if any, benefits. Unlike many other fruits and vegetables, conventionally grown onions have the same polyphenol content as organically grown onions. So you can let off steam with conventional onions.

avocados

Avocados are another safe food that ends up having some of the lowest levels of pesticide residues. Perhaps it’s the scaly skin and the way they “sneak around” up there in the trees that makes pests think they’re dealing with alligators. Maybe it’s the fact that a bug has been burned too many times with a nice looking avocado that turned out to be fibrous and brown on the inside. Maybe pests just hate waiting for an avocado to ripen (who doesn’t?) and give up.

Although growers sometimes apply significant amounts of chemicals to avocado orchards, they actually don’t make it into the greasy, delicious pulp we crave and consume. Similar to our friend the coconut, the hard outer shell offers pretty good protection. However, avocado farmers, both organic and conventional, use large amounts of copper as a fungicide. Copper is an essential nutrient, but too much can be harmful. A single Florida avocado contains 0.9 mg, which is about 100% of the RDI, so don’t eat several a day.

Can honey even be organic?

The idea of ​​organic honey is fantastic. Who wouldn’t love to eat honey produced by bees that have fed exclusively on organic, wild, pristine, pure flowers? I sure would.

But the reality is that bees will remain bees. They will roam freely and will not discriminate between organically and conventionally grown plants. I suppose you could just surround your hives with organic plant life, but considering bees have an average range of three miles (and double that when food is scarce), that would require controlling a lot of land. Also, do you know why bees have those cute, furry bodies? Yes, this fur picks up all sorts of things from the air. Not only do you have to worry about non-organic pollen, you also have to deal with any non-organic airborne dust in the environment.

Buy local honey. Buy raw honey. Buy honey from someone who has raised the bees and knows (at least sort of) where they spend their time. But don’t spend extra money on organic honey unless you really like that particular honey. Those first two characteristics—“local” and “raw”—should come before organic.

Is organic asparagus worth the price?

I love asparagus, but even I shy away from the astronomical price of organic asparagus. I once saw organic asparagus for sale at my local grocery store for $17.99 a pound!

Luckily, asparagus is one of the cleanest vegetables out there. Upon re-checking into the USDA (PDP) database, the vast majority of samples are tested residue-free. Organic might eliminate the small chance of pesticides showing up on your asparagus, but I don’t think it’s worth the price. Conventional should be good. If you’re really worried, domestic conventional (in US terms) is far better than imported conventional.

sweet potatoes

Low carb is cool, but the athletes, strength lifters, and highly active folks among us sometimes need a bit of nutritional starch to fuel our efforts. Regular sweet potatoes are a good choice. Their leaves are sometimes eaten by beetles, but since this rarely affects the viability of the underground tubers that people actually eat, farmers generally don’t feel the need to protect the leaves with agrochemicals.

However, sweet potatoes sometimes have a problem with post-harvest fungal growth. To prevent this, processors sometimes dip the nodules in a Dicloran bath before they are packed and shipped. Dicloran (a fungicide not to be confused with the flame retardant known as dichlorane) is the only chemical found consistently in conventional sweet potatoes. Although Dicloran is sometimes listed as a possible carcinogen, the European Food Safety Authority has concluded that “Dicloran has no genotoxic or carcinogenic potential relevant to humans”. If you’re still concerned, peel your sweet potatoes.

Farmed mussels (clams, mussels, oysters, scallops)

I mentioned this in a previous post on farmed seafood, but farmed mussels are essentially “wild”. They are not raised in ponds, nor are they fed pesticide-rich soy and corn, topped off with unsustainable fishmeal. Instead, they hang out at their moorings in real seawater and act like the filter feeders they are. In every way, the farmed clams you eat are identical to wild ones. Therefore, there would be little point in eating “organic” shellfish.

In 2002, Greenpeace conducted a comprehensive survey of all chemicals used in aquaculture to determine whether consumers had anything to worry about when consuming the end product. While they noted extensive use of parasiticides, anesthetics, spawning hormones, oxidants, disinfectants, and herbicides in fish and shrimp farming, there was only one case of chemical use in mussel farming: Oyster farming in the Northwest US sometimes used carbaryl, an organophosphate , the acetylcholine inhibits esterase and increases acetylcholine levels in the brain (which kills parasites but can actually improve human brain function provided you eat or produce enough choline).

Long story short, old-school tegular clams are perfectly fine — and I encourage you to eat them regularly.

How to choose between organic and conventional products

These are my top recommendations for groceries you can buy conventionally, but what if you’re standing in the supermarket and have to make a decision on the fly? Here are some guidelines to follow:

Check out the EWG’s Dirty Dozen and Clean 15 lists, which they update annually (although they remain fairly consistent). Get bio for the dirty dozen whenever possible. Otherwise, take what is available.

Favor organic for leafy greens and products with thin, edible skins. Anything you peel will put most of the residue in the compost heap with the leftover food.

If you’re shopping at a local farmers’ market, ask the growers about their farming methods. Many small farms cannot afford organic certification, but still do without mineral fertilizers, pesticides and fungicides. They can feel great eating what they grow.

Finally, remember that frozen fruits and vegetables are just as nutritious as fresh ones. If you can’t find what you want in the produce department, check the freezer.

I have, folks. I hope some of you are pleasantly surprised and feel a little more empowered to make informed decisions about whether or not to buy organic. Remember, you need to eat something, and regular fruits, veggies, and animals are far better than not eating any fruits, veggies, and animals at all.

Thanks for reading and let me know if I missed any foods in the comments section!

About the Author Mark Sisson is the founder of Mark’s Daily Apple, godfather of the primal food and lifestyle movement, and New York Times bestselling author of The Keto Reset Diet. His latest book is Keto for Life, in which he explains how he combines the keto diet with a primal lifestyle for optimal health and longevity. Mark is also the author of numerous other books, including The Primal Blueprint, which in 2009 was credited with accelerating the growth of the Primal/Paleo movement. After three decades of researching and educating people about why food is the key component to achieving and maintaining optimal wellness, Mark founded Primal Kitchen, a real-food company that brings Primal/Paleo, Keto, and Whole30-friendly kitchen staples manufactures.

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Groceries you don’t have to buy organic

If you’re looking to make healthier choices for your diet and the environment, you might want to spend a few bucks more on organic produce. However, many health experts question the importance of buying organic products. While there are certain foods that you should buy from the more expensive section of your grocery store, some fruits and vegetables don’t need extra protection. Our Milwaukee personal injury attorneys have compiled a list of foods you don’t need to buy organic to help you stay healthy and save money.

#1: Onions

Onions have the lowest amount of pesticide residues of any fruit and vegetable in your local grocery store. Since you’re not eating the outside of the onion, you probably won’t be exposed to any pesticide exposure. A study by the Environmental Working Group found that more than 90% of onions contained no pesticide residues.

#2: Candy Corn

Sweetcorn comes with a naturally protective husk that protects the inner kernels from potential pesticides. Sweetcorn also appears on the Environmental Working Group’s Clean Fifteen list. The environmental agency states that less than 2% of the sweetcorn samples contained detectable pesticides.

#3: Avocados

Avocados are another product that does not deserve the organic seal. Avocados have a naturally protective skin that protects the fruit inside from toxins in the air. Additionally, avocados are also on the Environmental Working Group’s Clean Fifteen list — along with sweetcorn, less than 1% of avocados contained pesticides.

#4: Asparagus

Although asparagus does not have a skin or peel, it is also unlikely to contain any pesticides. More than 90% of the asparagus samples tested by the Environmental Working Group were free of pesticide residues. Skip the organic section and buy regular asparagus spears.

#5: Pineapple

Pineapples are also among the cleanest fruits available on the market. More than 90% of the pineapple samples contained no pesticide residues. Since the fruit also has a tough, prickly skin, you don’t have to worry about the fruit inside being contaminated by pesticides.

#6: Mangoes

Mangoes are another fruit with a protective skin. According to the Environmental Working Group, 78% of mango samples contained no detectable pesticides. Additionally, the organization found no more than two pesticides from non-organic mangoes in US Department of Agriculture tests.

#7: Kiwifruit

Kiwis are another solid source of pesticide-free produce that doesn’t require you to pay an organic premium. Almost 65% of the kiwi fruit samples showed no pesticide residues. In addition, the research only found six pesticides on conventionally grown kiwifruit. The fruit also has a protective shell that keeps the fruit inside safe.

#8: Papayas

Papayas also have a protective coating that keeps their flesh free of pesticides, making buying organic ones moot. According to the Environmental Working Group, 80% of papayas had no pesticide residues. Of the 750 samples of conventionally grown papayas tested, none had more than three pesticides on their surface.

#9: Eggplants

Eggplants are another smart vegetable you can buy in the conventionally grown section of the grocery store. According to the Environmental Working Group, about 75% of conventional eggplant samples contained no pesticide residues. In addition, the researchers found no more than three pesticide residues per eggplant. Since you don’t always eat the eggplant skin, these pesticides have no effect on your health.

#10: Cantaloupes

Cantaloupes are another fruit with a strong line of defense against pesticide residues, and you should save money by sticking to conventionally grown fruit. More than 60% of the cantaloupe samples contained no pesticide residues. In addition, only 10% of cantaloupe samples contained more than one pesticide.

#11: Broccoli

Not only is broccoli one of the cheapest vegetables, but you can rest assured that buying a cheaper version won’t harm your health. 70% of the broccoli samples showed no pesticide residues. Additionally, only one in ten broccoli samples contained more than one form of pesticide.

When shopping for produce, remember that it’s often a good idea to buy what looks the freshest and cleanest to avoid foodborne illness. These healthy product options should help you jumpstart your New Year’s resolutions while keeping your finances in check.

January 10, 2006 – Thinking about buying organic groceries? A story in Consumer Reports lays out which organic items are worth buying—and which aren’t.

Here’s the list that appears in the February issue of the magazine:

Organic produce worth buying as often as possible: apples, baby food, peppers, celery, cherries, dairy products, eggs, imported grapes, meat, nectarines, peaches, pears, poultry, potatoes, red raspberries, spinach and strawberries .

Organic produce worth buying when money is no object: asparagus, avocados, bananas, breads, broccoli, cauliflower, granola, sweetcorn, kiwi, mangoes, oils, onions, papaya, pasta, pineapple, potato chips and sweets Peas. Also included are packaged products such as canned vegetables and dried fruit.

Organic items not worth buying: seafood and cosmetics.

Expect to pay more for organic food, which is more labor-intensive to grow and doesn’t receive government subsidies, the article says.

Shallots, scallions, and scallions are commonly used in Asian, American, and European cuisines. Both the leaves and bulb of these onions are edible and have a mild, smooth flavor compared to regular onions. However, they look very similar and can be difficult to tell apart. This article clarifies the confusion and details the differences between shallots, scallions, and scallions. Share on Pinterest

Spring onions are younger than spring onions The difference between spring onions and green onions is simply their age. Spring onions are younger than spring onions and are harvested at an earlier stage in their growth. You can tell them apart by the width of the white bulb at the base of the plant. Because it has spent less time in the ground, the white bulb of a scallion is slimmer than that of a spring onion. As a general rule of thumb, the white bulb of a spring onion is about the same width as the stem and leaves of the plant. Spring onions that are a little older have a slightly wider white bulb at the bottom. This bulb is usually wider than the leaves and ovate, not round. Summary Spring onions are young spring onions. You can tell a plant’s age and whether it’s technically a spring onion or spring onion by the width of its bulb.

Spring onions are older than spring onions and scallions Spring onions are usually planted at the end of summer so that they can grow over the winter and be harvested in spring. They are more mature than shallots and spring onions, but are still a type of young onion that are harvested before they can get any bigger. You can recognize a spring onion by the small, round, white bulb at its base. While it resembles spring onions and scallions, it gives away its rounded onion. Green onions are also slightly stronger in flavor than spring onions and scallions due to their ripeness. However, they still have a mellower flavor than regular onions, which have been left in the ground much longer and grow much larger. Summary Spring onions predate shallots and green onions. Because they have been grown longer, their bulb is more developed and rounded.

Do spring onions and scallions come from the same plant? All unripe onions have the same hollow, long green leaves and small whitish bulbs. However, some people believe that true shallots and scallions come from a specific type of leek plant, the species Allium fistulosum. This species differs from other bulbs in that it does not develop a round bulb. Even when left in the ground to mature, these plants have a straight white bulb. However, “spring onion”, “spring onion” and “spring onion” are not official plant names and are therefore not tied to a specific species. Although bulbs of the species Allium fistulosum only ever form scallions and scallions, any young bulb can fall into these categories depending on the age of the plant. Summary The terms spring onion and scallion mainly refer to the age of the plant. Although some onion species only produce scallions or scallions, it is possible to source them from other onion species.

Nutritional Facts Young onions like shallots, scallions, and scallions are very low in calories, containing only about 5 calories per medium-sized onion, or 32 calories per 100 grams (1). They are 89% water by fresh weight and contain 2.6 grams of fiber, 7.3 grams of carbohydrates and tiny amounts of protein and fat per 100 grams. They also contain micronutrients, including folic acid and vitamins K and C. 100 grams of these Onions have (1): Calories: 32

32 water: 89%

89% carbohydrates: 7.3 grams

7.3 grams of sugar: 2.3 grams

2.3 grams of protein: 1.8 grams

1.8 grams of fiber: 2.6 grams

2.6 grams of fat: 0.2 grams

0.2 grams of vitamin K: 173% of the Reference Daily Intake (RDI)

173% of the Reference Daily Intake (RDI) Vitamin C: 21% of the RDI

21% of the RDI Folate: 16% of the RDI These onions also have beneficial antioxidants and sulfur-containing compounds (2). Summary Young onions like shallots, scallions, and scallions are low in calories and contain some fiber, carbohydrates, and beneficial plant compounds.

How to Cook with Shallots, Spring Onions, and Spring Onions While spring onions and scallions are primarily classified by age, it can get confusing as people often use these terms interchangeably to describe young onions. As such, it can be difficult to determine the age and type of onion you are purchasing. However, since all young onions taste similar, the variety doesn’t make much of a difference in dishes. If you’re not sure what kind you have, or worry you may have the wrong one, your prescription is unlikely to be damaged. Popular ways to prepare young onions like scallions, scallions and scallions in a salad or as a side dish. You can also cook with them by adding them to stir-fries, soups and stews. Spring onions, which have a slightly stronger flavor, taste great pickled or grilled. Summary Although there are slight differences between shallots, scallions, and scallions, they can be used interchangeably in recipes. They are often added to stews, stir-fries, and salads.