By Casey Kelly Barton

Freshly planted onion sets

I love gardening this time of year because onion sets arrive at area nurseries, and they're incredibly easy for kids (and adults) to plant. My boys helped put in a few rows yesterday with minimal oversight by me.

If you haven't tried planting onions before, sets are much easier to deal with than seeds. (Seeds should've been started back in October for this spring's harvest.) A bundle of sets is just a clump of baby onions with the roots on. Separate them carefully and plant each one--covering the white section in loose, well, drained, fertile soil--about four inches apart in rows a foot apart. You can also try them in containers if you're short on space. Don't overwater, don't overfertilize and don't worry about what passes for cold in Central Texas. Harvest in a few weeks for green onions or when the tops brown and fall over (usually around late April or early May) for full-size onions.

My favorite type to grow is "Texas 1015 SuperSweet." As you might guess, it's sweet and very mild, a favorite for cooking. Alas, it's not a long-keeper--it'll last maybe a month under ideal storage conditions--which is why I like to chop and freeze about half my harvest for later use in soups and other dishes. The rest we savor fresh, a big payoff for so little gardening effort.

Onion trivia: According to Texas A&M, onions are the state's leading vegetable crop. You'll find a history of Texas sweet onions here and recipe links and 1015 storage tips here.

Image credit: author's private collection

Casey Kelly Barton writes, gardens, knits and tries to live green with her family in Austin. She blogs at Redneck Mother.