I'm in Zone 8-A, planted onion sets in early October and they're already sending up green tops? What do I do about this? Cut the greens off? I planted garlic cloves in the same bed at the same time as the onions and they're starting to send up shoots too.

That's what they do. They'll grow all winter and be ready for harvest next late spring.

I'm sorry, I should have included that I am brand new to gardening and this is my first time planting onions in the fall. So the green tops will grow through-out the winter and I just need to stop fretting and let them do their thing? I just thought the little bulbs would chill in the ground all winter and send up shoots in the spring. Thank you for answering my question!!

The onions know what they are doing.

@kurtvonnegoat

Looking forward, your garlic will grow leaves. Then each plant will eventually produce a flower stalk. It will be a bare single stem that curls near the top. When you see these starting they should be cut off to force the leaves to "feed" the growth of the cloves in the bulb.

You can use the stems as "green garlic" in cooking. I chop them and add to stir fry or soup or stew or add raw to salads.

If you allow the stems to grow and mature, each will develop a cluster of "bulbils" at the top. These can be planted. The mother plant will still produce some cloves but not as many or as large as if the flower stalk is removed.

I hope you find gardening rewarding! It can add a lot of productive activity and endless possibilities for new interests.

Pat

You'll only get the flower stalks (called "scapes" in the case of garlic) if you are growing a hard-neck type; soft-neck types of garlic don't ordinarily send up scapes.

Kurt, cold weather crops are pretty 'cool' my zone is cooler but I've still found interesting crops to make use of these months. Brassica type things, especially if you like greens. I just planted fall onions for the first time and yes, have some green shoots and garlic was very successfull last year here (except leaf miners..)

PS if I ever own a goat, forgive me if I name it Kurt Vonne.