[gardeners] Vidalia & 1015Y Texas Sweet
Marguerite (gardeners@globalgarden.com)
Sun, 28 Mar 1999 08:02:26 -0600
Hi Allen,
I have ordered 2 bundles of 1015Y Texas Sweets (of 50 to 75 sets
per bundle), that are to arrive this week. Along with them, I ordered 3
bundles of Vidalia sets (50 to 75 sets per bundle). Both varieties
cost $6.95 per bundle from the Territorial Seed Company. Since I called
a second time and increased my order, I have two shipping costs of $3.75
for each of two separate shippings. I figure that is nearly $42.00 for
approximately 300 onion sets, including shipping costs.
Meanwhile, my husband found Vidalia onion sets at the local grocery
store for $.60 a bundle, including tax. He knew we liked Vidalia onions
from buying them in the grocery store last winter, so he got me 5
bundles containing 65 plants per bundle. That was a total of $3.00 for
325 onion sets.
They may not be of the high quality that Territorial Seed Company
sells, but I have the "cheap" Vidalia onion sets planted in a raised
bed, about 6 inches of space between each set. I plan to pull some of
them for eating in late spring, in a pattern of "every other one," as
they grow, so as to leave more room for the remaining onions to grow to
a large, mature size.
For the EXPENSIVE ones coming later this week, what is the closest I
can plant these sets if I do not intend to "thin them" by pulling "every
other one," before they reach their full, mature size? Allen, and
anyone with experience "planting onions close together," I would
appreciate opinions you might have on this plan.
I am labeling the onion sets in the garden, so as to see if the
EXPENSIVE ones are better quality than the cheap (less than a penny per
onion set) onions. For the 1015Y Texas Sweet onions, I may have to
order from a seed catalog, but never again pay the higher price for
Vidalias IF the grocery store onion sets produce the same quality
onion. Next year, I also plan to try the Candy pelleted onion seeds
from Stokes.
This year, I will have in excess of 600 onion sets. I have
limited space, so I am interested in planting as close as "success" will
allow. I have an American Harvester Food Dehydrator, and plan to dry
some onions. Does anyone have advice as to the probable success one
might have drying onions? Most of the onions will be frozen in
appropriate size portions for chili, soups, and other uses. I will
store in a dry, cool place, only the amount I think we can eat before
they spoil.
I hope my husband's grocery store Vidalias are as good as the
EXPENSIVE ones, so I can buy them there each year, but IF they are, I am
going to be really SICK to know I paid that extraordinary price for the
ones I ordered. I still don't have another less expensive source for
the 1015Y Texas onions, though.
Thanks for any advice anyone can give me.
Marguerite Ruch, on the shore of Truman Lake in Missouri