Sweet Onion Plants In Texas

Many varieties of sweet onions grow in Texas.

Onions are one of Texas's leading crops. As of 2000, the state ranked sixth nationwide for onion production. Of Texas's many onion varieties, among the most popular are several kinds of sweet yellow onions. The first sweet onions grown in Texas came from the Bermuda islands around the turn of the 20th century. Over the course of the century, Texas production of sweet onions expanded, with the introduction of several new varieties.

Granex

First developed in the early 1950s, the 'Granex' onion is a sweet yellow onion with an exceptionally mild flavor, making it highly suitable for eating raw, as in salads. The 'Granex' is a hybrid of Bermuda onions; specifically, it comes from a cross of the 'Excel' and 'Early Grano 951' onions. It has relatively good resistance to pink root, a common problem among onion plants. Popularly known as the Vidalia onion because of the region of Georgia where it commonly grows, the 'Granex' is an early-maturing variety. It can vary in shape from a nearly perfect globe to a more flattened form. If not eaten right away, the onion stores relatively well, whether kept in a cool and dry cellar or cured. In addition to the common yellow variety, the 'Granex' is sometimes grown in white or even red strains.

1015Y Texas SuperSweet

The '1015Y Texas SuperSweet' forms extremely large and sweet yellow onions. The 1015Y onions have globe shapes and are usually classified, by size, as either jumbo or colossal. Despite their large size, the onions mature relatively quickly. One advantage of the '1015Y Texas SuperSweet' over other sweet onion varieties is their relative disease resistance. In addition, they have an exceptionally long shelf life, making them an excellent option for storing during the winter. Like other 'Texas SuperSweet' onion varieties, the 1015Y comes from the 'Texas Early Grano 502', one of the seminal sweet onion varieties grown in Texas.

Texas Grano 1025Y

The 'Texas Grano 1025Y' was developed in an attempt to combine the best elements of the 'Texas Grano 502' and the 'Ben Shemen' onion. The resulting onion has a bright yellow color and a globelike shape. It's a relatively good crop for large-scale production, storing very well, though it does ripen slightly later than its parent, the 'Grano 502', taking 10 to 15 days longer to mature, on average. Its resistance to pink root disease is quite good, however, and it has a very uniform yield and shape. The even globe shape is a further boon, as it aids mechanized harvesting.

Tags: onion varieties, Texas SuperSweet, 1015Y Texas, 1015Y Texas SuperSweet, sweet onions, sweet yellow