Same here - time to plant onion plants. But sets? Sets are almost always long-day varieties and you live in short-day land. Didn't know Texas 1015Y (I think that is what you mean), which is a short-day variety, was available in sets. Dave

I load up on several varieties of onion plants in the spring, transplant them as early as I can, harvest them as I want to use them all summer. I harvest the rest of them in the fall when they mature and dry, and store and use them all winter. I still have a few left over from last year (storage variety (Copra)), and am just recently harvesting sweet onions from this year's production (Candy and Red Candy Apple).

Minibot, don't give up. I'm just a newbie with garlic (never even tried onions ... yet), but you're not going to let those little bulbs scare you off, are you? I, too, have sandy soil ... at least that gives us the good drainage these bulbs need. Garlic, I am told, is an inefficient feeder, so needs a good soil, therefore you're going to have to work in some good stuff - compost, well-aged manure. We made a slightly raised bed, just to ensure good drainage and to cut down on the digging. Also easier to weed in spring; weeds = competition = smaller garlic. "... under a tree ..." concerns me, as I understand garlic needs plenty of sun. If it's a deciduous tree, you might not have a problem. Depends on how early that tree leafs out and the path of the sun (and, consequently, the shade cast by the tree canopy). I have to deal with some shade from tall deciduous oaks, but by the time the leaves grow to any size and are casting any shade on the bed, it'll be almost time to harvest, and the garlic will still get good, full sun from dawn until at least 1:00 p.m. (Just to be on the safe side, I planted the earliest-maturing varieties at the west end of the bed, which will get the shade first.) That tree is another good reason to consider a raised bed if you can manage it - your bulbs probably won't do well if they have to compete with tree roots. Eventually, the tree roots will make their way up into the raised bed, but by then you might have another plan in place. C'mon ... you've got much nicer weather to work in than we have here ... 27 tonight, with about 4" of snow still on the ground from the last storm and another 4-7" expected tomorrow night. Oh, and you can plant some of the garlic in a deep pot and either cut like chives or harvest in a few months, when they'll be like scallions ... at least, that's what I've read. What kind of onions and garlic did you get? Good luck, and please keep us posted. Diane (down the road I might be asking you for advice on orchids/tropicals)

Go to Walmart , they have nice size bags of the bulbs cheap. Onions are cold weather plants so get them in ASAP . Mine are blooming now and then some die back and start to regrow in the fall . You can leave them in the ground all year and pick them when you need them . Rick