Bob
Me too. Maybe next spring I can finally learn how to grow onions. With the prices of these babies going up all the time, and being a bigtime onion lover for just about all my cooking fave's, it's time to stop being onion challenged. With y'alls help, I can do it!

Barbara

Bob,

My Red Candy Apples were smaller than expected but there is a very good reason for that. When my onions had been in the ground for about 2 months or so, we had 12 inches of rain in one day. That was then followed by another 8 or 9" of rain over the next 3 weeks or so. Even though they were in a bed raised about 4" above grade level, they pretty much drowned. The ones that survived were smaller than expected but very tasty. The same was true of all my onions--all the ones that did not drown were smaller than usual but still tasty.

I will plant Red Candy Apple again. I really like the flavor and, in fact, just used two of them in Habanero Gold confetti jelly yesterday. (I made three different jelly batches.)

It is unlikely we'll ever have that kind of rainfall again as it is not 'normal' here. I believe that rainfall on that day was a new record for the state of Oklahoma for greatest rainfall in one 24-hour period.

Jay grew them in better soil (it drains well!) and less (significantly less) rainfall, so maybe he'll report on his results.

105Ys have been my faves ever since they were introduced in....what was it....the 1980s? I like plain old Candy onions too.

Dawn

Bob,
I saw your post earlier but was headed out to work to check on an engine that malfed. So didn't have time to answer the way I like too. As Dawn will tell you my opinions are usually not short.

Red Candy was good for me. Size was like several varied. And I mean by a lot. I just went and weighed two. One was 4 ounces and the other 14 ounces. Know I had a couple a little bigger than the 14 ouncer. So say 4 oz. to a pound. I thinned them all. And it was the whole row that way. No rhyme of reason. I like it better when I know why something does what it does.

The only two real flops I had were Contessa and Red Zeppelin. Neither will be back.

Walla Walla did real well. It usually does. Large and uniform size.

Yellow Sweet Spanish was another that varied. The difference with it was it matured over 3 weeks. All planted out the same night. And likewise scattered through the whole row. The first ones were 4-6 ounces. The last ones were a pound or more and very good. Hard to explain. Why wouldn't weather ect affect the majority the same. I would say about a 1/3 small, a third med. and a third large.

1015Y's for me were med to large and very good. A coworker took some and got sick and didn't water for a week like he should of. He said they were small but very good taste.

Candy, Big Daddy and Yellow Granex did fair this year. Not as good as they have but still good.

I've got an advantage in that in my location I normally can grow onions from all 3 groups. Red Zeppelin and Contessa seem to be exceptions. I can't seem to get any size on them. Thought last year it was because I planted late. This year out early and still 3-5 ounces at the most. Good size to grill and use in roasts. Jay

I love the 1015Y Onions also. There seems to be several stories about how they got the name. Dixondale Farms claims the seeds were planted on October 15 so they were named 1015. Down in South Texas between Mercedes and Progresso(Nuevo Progresso MX, there is a farm road FM-1015 and they claim that this is where the Onion was first developed, hence the name 1015. Oh well, whatever !! I have also heard that the Vidalia MUST be grown in Vidalia GA to be called a Vidalia. I guess they are all derivitives of the Granex Onion.

Avidchamp,
I've always heard they should be planted was why the 1015Y. And there is a few places that say that. But that don't necessarily make it right.

I think Dixondale along with a few other places say there is more than one variety grown in Vidalia and called Vidalia. It is like the Hatch chili. There is several varieties called Hatch chili's if they are grown in Hatch, NM. They claim in both cases it is the soil and climate that makes them taste unique. I grow mostly sweet onions. And finding more people are looking for them. But 1015Y and Granex are both great onions. 1015Y is a little more consistent here. I wonder if I'm almost too far north for the Granex. Some years it does great and others not so well. Jay

Bob,

I was born in Texas and grew up there, so I actually know some of the story behind the 1015's name.

The Texas Supersweets got the name because it was their best planting date when Texas A & M researchers, led by Dr. Pike, were doing a grow-out of many varieties in south Texas over a period of quite a few years. They chose to name the onions by their best plantout date for that area because they thought that doing so would help local growers know when to plant them. I believe the "Y" stood for yellow as they were testing many kinds and needed to be able to distinguish them one from another.

For a long time now, they've been trying to get people to use the name "Texas Supersweets" but everyone is used to 1015 and doesn't want to buy them under another name.

Before Dr. Pike retired a couple of years ago, he helped develop many other improved veggies, including the Texas Aggie maroon carrots.

I've linked an article about his retirement that discusses his career and his link to the Texas 1015Y onions.

Dawn

Here is a link that might be useful: Dr. Pike and the 1015