We all know that homegrown vegetables and fruit are tastier, healthier and are much cheaper than store-bought ones. Here at Gulf Coast Gardening we answer questions about what varieties do well here? When’s the best time to plant them? Where and how to plant them and when do we fertilize them? How much sun and water do they need? What seeds can you plant outdoors? What plants need to be started indoors. How long to harvest? Agricultural universities like Texas A&M, LSU, Florida A&M, Mississippi State, and Alabama A&M, as well as other colleges and universities along the Gulf Coast

A noted French theologian once said that “man is the living layer of earth.” He was referring to the spiritual realm, I’m sure. Because there is another “living layer of earth” right below our feet – the soil. That’s because good soil is alive with millions, billions, trillions – countless mega trillions of living creatures which are born, live, procreate and die every second. A teaspoon of good soil would contain millions of living creatures, while a shovel-full would hold billions. An acre would contain more living organisms than there are starts in our galaxy… perhaps in the entire universe.

Over 5,000 years ago, during the Bronze Age, onion came into their own. We believe that onions were first developed in Iran and Western Pakistan – centuries before writing was developed. And we know that they were a staple in ancient civilizations like Sumer, Babylonia and Egypt.  Onions were nutritious, less perishable, easy to grow , and could be easily carried from one place to another. There are other stories from the Romans, the Greeks, Indians, Middle Ages, and the Pilgrims extolling the value of onions. Even General Ulysses Grant complained that he could not move the army without onions.