Victoria County Master         Gardener Association

TEXAS SUPER SWEET ONION, OR 1015Y:

Sweet and easy on the eyes

January 21, 2022

by Charlie Neumeyer/Victoria County Master Gardener

edited by Suzanne LaBrecque/Victoria County Master Gardener Dirt Chairperson

Most people have definite opinions about onions. You’re either an onion person, or you’re not. I am definitely on the “yes” side of onions, and the 1015Y onion is one of the reasons.

The newest Superstar from Texas AgriLife Extension is the Texas Super Sweet Onion or the 1015Y. Famous for its “sweetness, size and overall good performance as a cool-season crop in the Lone Star State,” this onion was named a 2021 Texas Superstar.

According to Larry Stein, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension horticulturist, the 1015Y’s “have a long-established reputation for taste, size and performance in gardens around the state.” They will grow from the Uvalde to Lubbock and, he notes that “there are not a whole lot of garden plants that perform in (one) part of the state as well as the other.”'

A little history
The Texas Super Sweet Onion 1015Y (the “Y” stands for yellow), has an interesting history. According to Jason Sheeler, writing in the December 2013 edition of Texas Monthly, Dr. Leonard Pike, a horticulture professor at Texas A&M University, was asked by growers in the Texas Valley to develop a “stronger, resistant onion variety that could be sold in the winter.”

In 1977 Pike and about 50 graduate students worked on modifying and improving the Grano 502 onion. According to Wikipedia, “Pike and his assistants were, over the next four years, able to create hardier versions.” The Pike team’s onions were consistent producers and were larger and sweeter. In 1997, the 1015 was named the Texas state vegetable.

Planting 1015Ys
According to Dr. Stein, the ideal seed planting date is Oct. 15 hence, 1015 identification number. Plants grown from seed take 105-110 days to be “harvest ready.”

The onion bulbs grown from seed are typically bigger than those grown from transplants. Transplants “typically reduce the maturation schedule by 30-40 days.” Stein adds that if you are planting transplants you “should buy the smallest plants available.”

Planting conditions
For optimum production, plants need exposure to full sun and will do well in any well-drained soil. If you have heavy or clay soil, you must modify it by adding organic compost, pine bark, gypsum or composted leaves. These materials will eliminate drainage and compaction problems. According to Dr. Stein, the 1015Y’s are “resistant to diseases, including a fungal pathogen called pink root.“

Weed control is important. Using a pre-emergent after the seeds are up and growing or after the transplants are in the ground is key. Weeds can be controlled manually, of course, but if using a hoe, be careful not to damage the bulb. According to Dr. Jerry Parsons, Texas AgriLife Extension Horticulturalist (ret.), onions should be watered throughout the growing season. As the plants mature, they may need more water.

Fertilization
Dr. Larry Stein notes that “Texas Super Sweet Onions are heavy feeders.” He recommends “spoon-feeding” individual plants every two weeks after the plants begin to grow. He suggests sprinkling granulated fertilizer “around the base” and to “water in the granules.” He further states that fertilizer “amounts will factor into their taste. Well-fertilized plants are “very sweet … with very little pyruvate.” Low levels of pyruvate mean fewer tears when peeling and slicing onions.

Dr. Stein goes on to say that “stressed plants will typically not be as mild and may have increased levels of pyruvate and reduced sweetness. If you “don’t like a super sweet onion, and prefer a little more kick,” reduce the amount of fertilizer.

Ready to plant?
It is obviously past 10/15, but there still may be time to find and plant some transplants. I’m tasting the fried onion rings already.

REFERENCES
Sheeler, Jason, Texas Monthly Magazine, December 2013 “How Sweet It Is”

Sweet Onion -- Wikipedia “Leonard M. Pike”

Parsons, Jerry/Publications/onions, Aggie Horticulture “Planting Onions”

Russell, Adam, AgriLife Today, November 24, 2021, ”Texas Super Sweet Onion Named Latest Texas Super Star”

The Gardeners’ Dirt is written by members of the Victoria County Master Gardener Association, an educational outreach of Texas A&M AgriLife Extension – Victoria County. Mail your questions in care of the Advocate, P.O. Box 1518, Victoria, TX 77901; or vcmga@vicad.com, or comment on this column at VictoriaAdvocate.com.

PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY TEXAS AGRILIFE

Texas Super Sweet Onion, or 1015Y was recently named a Texas Superstar Plant