Onionology is complicated. Will try to clarify a little: First a little background: "onion" is a huge catch-all imprecise category encompassing a highly diverse clan, allium cepa and other allium species as well. What we are talking about here are bi-annual bulbing onions, grown from seed. All varieties of bulbing onions ultimately derive from the so-called "spanish" onion. They fall into two rough categories, long-day and short-day, based on how much daylight there is around the solstices where the plant is growing. So bulbing onions are highly sensitive to photo period. The first most important thing to know is whether your latitude is "short" day or "long" day. As it happens, Kentucky is kind of in the middle, either might work though long day is probably more likely to do well. There are also a few hybrid varieties called "intermediate" day that might do best of all for you. Short-day varieties are sown in fall and come to full size in late spring. They require more than just low latitude, they also require a mild winter climate, about z7b or warmer, so some regions of KY might work and others not. Long-day are sown soon after the winter solstice and planted out in early spring and are full size in mid to late summer, depending. An exception is the walla-walla which is adapted to the PNW and I think there may be one or two others long-days that can be fall-sown in mild northern climes. So the infamous "sets" are small bulbs grown from seed and then planted to grow for the plant's second season. The plant really wants to bolt and grow seed rather than a bulb. Sets are a scam perpetrated by seed companies. They are mostly a waste of time and space. Buy plants grown from seed in texas next year, they come at just the right time for planting out and the results will be far better.

Wait, I am not getting Emperor Cichlid, so dont worry about them.

Hi Gail I have not been on in a while, so glad that your hawks are bonding...such a nice site to see... My RT's have moved down the street I do not see them as often but they do still come around...they are building the nest elsewhere as I have observed them carrying sticks .. This winter I have not been out much with my Hubby being sick I have been otherwise occupied....but things are looking up and I have started getting out and can not wait until spring and watching the RT's is a sure sign....will keep you posted...hopefully the pair will be successful this year...Claire

Thanks, I thought so, but I am not that familiar with identifying hawks, although I seem to be seeing them more and more lately! This one was back today, perched in same spot, screaming. I have read that the females are larger than the males, so I am guessing this one must be a female because it is HUGE, larger than the other ones I have seen, which I have only seen two in person. Thanks again!!!