[Hot Tabasco]

With absolutely nothing to do these days, I've decided to plan out my above ground garden. Here's my question:

I have a friend I play softball with and after our games, we sit at the picnic table and have a beer or two or eat lunch. At the end of the summer, he brings fresh vegetables to the table that he shares with us.

Our favorite is his green onions that have a round bulb on the end that is slightly larger than a quarter in diameter that he planted from small little bulbs he purchased in a packet of about 50 or 100 that he got from Menards.

Does anyone here know what kind of green onions those are and where I can find them on the internet?

For my second question: I'm going to order tomato seed packs but I'm not sure what to order.

Hybrid or Heirloom?

My tomato preference is strictly for sandwiches and salads.........

Any advice you folks can give me I would appreciate..........Thanks

[Diana in Wisconsin]

If this is what your friend shared, you are looking for 'Spring Onions.'

What Are Spring Onions, then?

Spring onions, on the other hand, look similar to scallions, but you’ll notice that they have small onion bulbs at the base. These onions come from the varietals that produce bulbs and are basically more mature versions of scallions. They are planted as seedlings in the late fall and then harvested the next spring, thus the word “spring” in the name.

Spring onions are sweeter and mellower than regular onions, but the greens are more intense in flavor than scallions. The bulbs can be red or white, depending on the varietal, and while they can be used in much the same way as regular bulb onions, they are great grilled, roasted whole, or used like pearl onions.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

My favorite tomatoes for just slicing and eating are:

Bella Rosa
Defiant
Cherokee Purple
Any variety/color in the ‘Goliath’ series
Any variety/color in the ‘Chef’s Choice’ series

These are all available at Jung Seed. http://www.jungseed.com

[Ellendra]

I don’t eat onions, but it sounds like those might be regular bulb onions, harvested at the “baby” stage?

For tomatoes, I’m inclined to stick with heirlooms, because you can save your own seeds and grow the same thing next year. With hybrids, technically you can save seeds, but what grows from those seeds will be unpredictable. It might be better, worse, equal-but-different, or exactly the same. Which can be fun, but it’s not everybody’s cup of tea.

For an all-around slicing tomato, Brandywine, Mortgage Lifter, and Climbing Triple-Crop would all work well. That last one tends to take over, so choose your spot carefully.