Texas Onions

[MsCowpea]

I never knew onions were Texas’s biggest crop. I am partial to those GA sweet Vidalia onions which are grown in areas designated by LAW. Grow a Vidalia somewhere else and they throw you in jail. Just kidding. But not about the designated areas protected by legislation. ( The may thing is don’t call your onion a Vidalia. )
Those Vidalias can be just a regular Texas granex onion—it’s the GA soil that makes ‘em special.

This is very interesting if you are into onions. Texas played a big role in onion development.
https://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/arc ... ONHIS.html

[worth1]

We used to get sweet yellow onions out of the valley that were the size of a small cantaloupe.
Haven't seen them in years.

[Shule]

I didn't know onions would be that popular commercially in the south. Great to know. They're big in western Idaho, too, along with sugar beets and grain (the potatoes are grown in other parts of the state). You can get free onions that have fallen off the trucks this time of year, lol. I saw some today on my way somewhere (they always seem to be yellow onions). I never heard of a Vidalia onion before today.

The problem with a crop being big in a state is that they pass laws about them. So, in my state, we can't legally buy Alliums to plant from out of state unless they're certified by some process (and I don't know how to tell if they are). Same for potatoes. The laws also affect planting grocery store produce (Alliums and potatoes), too. We can order true seeds and plant them, though, and order from Idaho vendors, I believe. Unfortunately, I don't know many online Idaho vendors that sell vegetables directly to home gardeners, except for snakeriverseeds.com (which is a seed store) and the big box stores (like the Home Depot and Walmart).

This is why I want true elephant garlic seed. In theory it exists, but I don't see anyone selling it.

I want some of those seeds from Green Mountain multiplier onions, too.

This link will tell you more about Idaho's crops than I could. I'd love to see a similar link for Texas and other states: https://agri.idaho.gov/main/about/about ... aho-crops/

[MsCowpea]

. I never heard of a Vidalia onion before today.

What?????? I thought everyone knew about that onion. You could almost eat it like an apple it is that sweet. Well, almost.
Costco has them in season.


It is interesting to see other state’s agricultural output. Didn’t know Idaho was a big seed producer and other things were a surprise as well.

[worth1]

Just when you assume everyone knows what you know or heard if what you heard of it isn't true.
I once knew a guy my age that had never heard of Winnie the Pooh.

[GoDawgs]

Yep, Georgia-grown Vidalia onions are just yellow granex onions but the soil in that part of Georgia makes them sweet as candy. The state legislature did pass a law defining the 20 county region that can call their onions Vidalias. There are several other large sweet onions (Walla Walla, Maui and Texas Sweets) but I gotta have the Vidalias.

Local high school bands and other organizations sell them in ten pound bags as fund raisers since folks have forgotten about having been hounded to buy pecans in the fall and citrus for Christmas. LOL! The onions are pretty juicy so they don't store well and if you buy 10 lbs you better eat them quick. I just get 'em as needed at the store.

https://www.vidaliaonions.com/history/

[MsCowpea]

That’s funny. 10 pounds of onions for a fundraiser. . Thats a good thing to buy, no guilt like you may feel scarfing down
Girl Scout Thin Mints on the way home.

History of crops (and a lot of others things) is always interesting. Somebody recognizes the unique value of a discovery and promotes it.

Not know about Winnie the Pooh? That means he doesn’t know Piglet, Tigger and all the rest. Missed a lot of collective wisdom .

[worth1]

Some parts of Texas grows some very sweet onins.
My place included in raised beds and containers.
It is the lack of sulfur in the soil to some extent.
Plenty of water and nitrogen too.
The store bought green onions I'm growing are like candy almost.
Juice just runs out of them.

[karstopography]

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My Texas Red and Texas Legend onions are bulbing.

[Texgal]

Beautiful onions @karstopography ! I planted some red creole last fall and had to pull a few the other day that were just starting to bulb and they were slap myself in the mouth delicious! I was craving them again the next day. Yours look great!

[Tormahto]

Up here in New England , I just cut my first few tiny scallions of the year.

[worth1]

@karstopography
How many leaves do the onion plants have?

[svalli]

. I never heard of a Vidalia onion before today.

What?????? I thought everyone knew about that onion. You could almost eat it like an apple it is that sweet. Well, almost.
Costco has them in season.


It is interesting to see other state’s agricultural output. Didn’t know Idaho was a big seed producer and other things were a surprise as well.

I loved those Vidalia onions, which we could buy from Sam's Club in Wisconsin. Unfortunately here in Finland we cannot grow sweet short day varieties. I am now trying to grow Ailsa Craig and Rossa Lunga di Firenze onions from seed and found information that the seedlings should not get more than 12 hours of daylight, so that they root well before bulbing. I have them now in garage with the lights timed for 12 hours. I wonder if that would work also for the short day onions by growing the seedlings indoors at lights set for 10 hours/day, or would they not produce well when eventually planted outdoors and they would suddenly get 20 hours of daylight in June.

Sari

[karstopography]

@worth1 I believe 11 or 12 for the most part. Maybe some of the oldest leaves have sort of disappeared.

[worth1]

If they don't bolt they'll be some nice onions.
Each leaf represents an onion layer.

[karstopography]

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I harvested all except about ten or so of my remaining onions. Might have left some in longer. I got tired of looking at them! I want to plant some okra soon and the onions were in the way. The weather is dry so I pulled most a few days ago. Still figuring this onion growing out. Good news only a few bolted, the little clump of yellow 1015 sweet in the rear. None of the Texas red bolted. I had these in a relatively shady bed so I feel like they did reasonably well all things considered.

[Danny]

So many love the sweet onions, and for us, they are okay, but have been looking for a sharp strong yellow to grow here in north Texas, with out much luck. I don't care if we bawl when we cut 'em, to us, they caramelize the best cooked low and slow. I LIKE the bite of a good slice of onion on my burger.

Any one got any tips for sharp onion varieties for the south?

[karstopography]

https://dixondalefarms.com/onion_comparison_table/

Red creole is a pungent, short day type.

[karstopography]

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The short day onions starting to swell.

[Rockporter]

Do you all fertilize your onions while they are growing?