If you plant the same seeds, you may not get anything. I'm at latitude 36.9; Indianapolis is 39.5, so we are both in that transition zone. I find that the short day whites from the feed store are kind of nice to have around as early onions. I try different varieties from seed every year, and love growing Long Red of Tropea, an old OP Mediterranean variety. Matter of fact, the Mediterraneans in general do well, esp little cippolinis. The problem with direct-seeding onions is weed competition. I have good luck direct-seeding Japanese onions in the fall, but use seedlings in spring. Last year I started a batch of Pattersons late, right about now, and set them out in a place that was eventually overrun with zuchetta squash. In the fall I was happy to find a pretty stand of medium onions, waiting to be lifted and cured.

Most of the pungent (storage) onions are the long day type. I don't know of any short day onion that is in this class. Don't know of any intermediate day onions that are pungent either, but I am not as familiar with this type.

Mary, it isn't short day-length onions per se that don't keep. The ones that don't keep are the sweet onions. There are short-day length varieties that will keep very nicely, though. Amish Bottle onions, for instance, keep at least 9 months. Maybe more, but I've never had them last long enough to check. Onions don't have to take up much room. You can plant them 4" apart, either in rows or en block. Plus, because they are a great companion plant, you can just tuck them in here and there throughout the garden.

derbyk, I usually use chemical fertilizer but this year depended on rabbit pellets tilled into the soil. I was worried they weren't doing well but we have a nice crop. Most are in the range of 12 to 17 ounces. Usually also, we space them five inches. This year, at four inches, we had very few doubles - but no lunkers like many years. These are Texas Granex. Only one turned out white.