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.

P exists in soils primarily as phosphates, which themselves act as bases and can increase alkalinity. That's one of the things your are trying to overcome. At high levels P can reduce the availability of a number of metal ion nutrients, such as zinc and copper. Your levels are high, which shouldn't be a problem. You just don't want to be adding and pushing them to very high levels. When I said "drain" I meant percolate. The question is can excess sodium be leached from the soil with good quality water? That requires that if the soil were soaked or saturated it would drain down, leaching sodium as it does. The water question is critical to your long-term success at that site. There is no home test for amounts of Na or Ca. But if you know a well driller with good local knowledge he may be able to tell you what kind of water exists in your area, and how deep the natural water table lays. Those would be good first clues. One of the interesting things that some clays can do is to transport water and dissolved minerals upwards towards the surface from below by capillary action. It is most pronounced when the water table is closer to the surface. I see this very frequently in my neighborhood, where water will ooze up and out of cracks in our concrete streets. I have no idea if your clay soils are susceptible to that kind of action, but if they are then the potential for restoring the soil becomes somewhat questionable. A good well driller who knows your area may be able to clue you in.

To me it looks, feels, and (most importantly) behaves like sand (at least in terms of drainage)... but I can definitely form a ball with it and it ribbons, which is a clear indication of clay. No, I don't detect any silt or clay by feel or appearance. And like I said before, the jar test settles to a nearly homogeneous sample of sand with a very tiny layer of either silt or clay. There is no 3rd layer to tell which it is, but I think its silt and the cloudy remains in the water (after > 24 hours) is clay. So in my latest jar (graduated beaker) I have 42 mm of sand and 4 mm of probably silt and I doubt the clay layer, if I can ever even measure it, would come to a single mm. That works out to 90% sand, 9% silt and 1% clay. Fully consistent with the behavior I see with drainage and what I've always thought I had. As I said in the beginning of this thread... I'm just confused because trying to confirm that with a feel test gives me an indication of the complete opposite. It makes me wonder if there's some 4th factor... some mineral or something, that perhaps is heavy like sand (so it settles and drains) but binds the particles when wet. I have no idea really. Again, I guess it really doesn't matter. It needs compost as a first step. Then I can start over.

@JMT - good suggestions, I will see how it goes Sat., and see what BF's mom thinks re shower gifts. @Amber/susan - as to BM trying to have all the power, I've told BF to stand up and be firm, without being pushy. No, BM shouldn't dictate who else sees baby on BF's visits, but it's at her house and she legally can deny entry if she wants until BF gets visits at his place. Yes, she can make plans too, but never is flexible for BF, whom she allows so little time w/baby already, no matter how special his plans are or the ease with which she could change hers to accommodate his if she chose to. BM clearly "gets off" on her control of the situation. @Susan -- BM only involved BF for the money. She has said she'd not have allowed visits at all, but her lawyer said she must. So, maybe she was advised that there is "more to it," but now that baby's here it's too late and she's done all she can to direct the course of things. True, I have no *legal* rights, but I can (and should) voice my concerns to BF and if the situation does not reach a point I can 'accept,' yes, I'll have to leave. The fact that BM has been immature, unreasonable, controlling and condescending so far makes me think it'll be very hard to accept and live with it... @Amber -- BF and I would see each other every weekend and sometimes once mid-week. Before I knew about a baby on the way, BF talked about moving here. No way I can leave my (well-paying) job, there are no similar opportunities in his small town and I have student loans to pay, plus I work long days already so commuting for me is problematic whereas he gets mileage to/from work. Best I can do is move to westside (now on east) and he'd have a 35-40 min commute. Assuming BF and BM split driving so each picks up baby on their days with her, that's not a horrible drive a few days a week, but it's certainly not as convenient as now. On the other hand, schools out my way are *much* better than the crap district BM and fiance moved into, so one would think in the long run it'd actually be best for BF's daughter, if she can get a superior education. Anyway, I won't sacrifice my career for this uncertain situation, not having ever lived with BF or knowing what future with child and BM holds. I also can't continue living an hour apart, feeling more like I have a pen pal than a partner. BF now of course has even less time for me, which wasn't much to start with, but I shouldn't have to put my life on hold while he sorts out his issues. I may suggest taking a break so he's not half-assing being a dad and a boyfriend, and see what happens. Thanks for all the helpful advice. I am still going to meet BM Sat., see what happens on the return court date next month, and take it from there.