White Lisbon Bunching Onion is a frost-hardy scallion that reaches harvest in just 60 days, making it one of the fastest paths to fresh onions in your garden. Bred for its clean white stems and tender green tops, this cultivar thrives in zones 4 through 10 and grows equally well from direct seeding or transplants. Its compact spacing needs (12 inches between plants) and moderate water requirements make it accessible to gardeners of all experience levels, while successive plantings every 2 to 4 weeks ensure a continuous supply throughout the season.
Full Sun
Moderate
4-10
?in H x ?in W
—
Moderate
Hover over chart points for details
You can direct sow White Lisbon as soon as soil hits 45°F and harvest tender bunches in roughly two months, or stagger plantings every few weeks for onions from spring through fall. The variety excels in mild climates when sown in autumn for spring harvests, and it never demands thick whites unless you deliberately thin seedlings to encourage them. Its frost hardiness means you can push planting windows wider than most spring crops, and the ease of successive seeding rewards the gardener who wants abundance without replanting from scratch.
White Lisbon Bunching Onions are harvested for their tender white bases and mild green tops, both equally edible. They're sliced raw into salads where their delicate onion bite won't overpower, grilled whole as a side dish, or chopped into soups, stir-fries, and Asian cuisines where fresh scallion flavor and texture matter. The edible green portions are particularly prized for garnishes and finished dishes where their appearance and crisp texture add visual appeal and fresh bite.
No timeline data available yet for this variety.
Start seeds indoors 8 to 10 weeks before your average last frost date, then transplant seedlings outdoors 4 to 6 weeks before your final frost. This timing gives you mature transplants ready to establish before warm weather arrives.
Transplant seedlings outdoors 4 to 6 weeks before your average last frost date, spacing them 12 inches apart in rows 12 inches wide. White Lisbon is frost-hardy, so cool conditions at transplanting are not a concern; the variety establishes well in spring coolness.
Sow seeds directly outdoors 4 to 6 weeks before your average last frost date or as soon as soil temperature reaches 45°F. Optimal germination occurs at 60 to 85°F. Sow successively every 2 to 4 weeks for continuous harvest. In mild climates, you can sow in fall for spring harvests. Plant seeds 1/4 inch deep.
White Lisbon reaches harvestable size in 60 days from sowing. Harvest when white stems are pencil-thin to slightly thicker, depending on your preference; the green tops should be vibrant and tender. Grasp bunches at soil level and pull gently to uproot the entire plant, or snip green tops above the white base to encourage multiple harvests from the same plant. Regular harvesting once plants are established encourages continued tender growth.
Enter your ZIP code to see a personalized growing calendar for this plant.