Aqua Hub’s drip irrigation kits are the best for growing onions under irrigation farming. Our drip kits come with a spacing of 15 – 30 cm, good for several onion varieties. Call 0790719020 to buy our quality drip irrigation kits.

Growing Onions in Kenya

Onion farming requires higher control and precision over-irrigation, fertilizer application and weed management.

Ecological Conditions for Growing Onions

Altitude:  Growing onions in Kenya requires an altitude of 0 -1900 M above sea level.

• Rainfall: Onions require well-distributed rainfall of between 500 and 700 mm during the growing period.
• Temperature: The optimum temperature for growth is 15 – 30 0C. If the temperature exceeds 30 0C, maturity is hastened & small bulbs are produced, consequently lowering the yields. When the temperature is low, growth is slowed, or the plant may result to flowering. Cold weather is also associated with increased leaf diseases.
• Soil: Onions require fertile and well-drained soil. The optimum pH range is 6.0 – 6.8. Sandy to silty loams with fine tilth are adequate.

Growing onions through Drip Irrigation: Alternative for Rainfall:

Drip irrigation serves as the basis of water supply to onion plants in areas with non-consistent or low rainfall. With available drip tapes and accessories for small to large-scale farms, growing onions is easier through irrigation farming. The end benefit is the high-income generation on lower production costs.

Suitable Drip Line Spacing

The suitable onion drip emitter spacing is 30 cm to promote balanced growth and nutrient supply. It is recommended for large bulb onion formation.

Tips for Growing Onions

Land Preparation

The farm needs proper cultivation and soil softening before plans to acquire onion seeds and drip irrigation kits. Also, consider the soil PH if it is suitable. An agronomist could help advise on what to use, which could be lime or ash to adjust soil PH. Apply compost manure to the farm after cultivation to boost fertility or as an alternative acidity reducer.

Transplanting

Onion transplanting involves transferring onion seedlings from nursery beds to actual planting fields. It should take rows of 30 cm spacing and plant spacing of 10 cm for proper transplanting. Planting holes need to be 3 cm deep for proper anchorage and root development.

Transplanting Tips

Soil analysis results is essential to determine the nutrient requirements of the soil  before planting.

• Water the onion seedlings before you start uprooting the seedling bed to avoid root damage.
• Carefully pull out the seedlings to avoid damage
• Cut off 50 percent of the green tops to speed up the leave growth.
• When planting onion sets, don’t bury them more than one inch under the soil
• Apply 80 kg of TSP fertilizer for every acre of land.
• Irrigate the seedlings after transplanting.

Drip Irrigation

Onions are best watered using drip irrigation kits. Water flow rate requirements vary with the soil type or region. The plants have varying water application rates for each specific growth phase. For instance, water needs are high during the period of transplanting to bulb formation. Once bulbs mature water needs reduce therefore the need to lower application rates.

Fertilizer application or Top Dressing

There are many ways to apply fertilizers to your onion plants. Hand application or through fertigation systems. For proper fertilizer application, unearthing or soil loosening is essential. Remove soil zones around the bulbs in cases of hand fertilizer application. The best method to ensure uniformity and efficiency in fertilizer application is through fertilizer injection.

Post Harvest Value Addition

• Sorting to remove bolted onions and those with thick necks.’
• Grading to separate small, medium, and large onion bulbs. The onions fetch different prices in the market as per the size.

Curing

Onion Curing is a process that aims at drying the necks and leaves of the bulbs to ensure extended shelf life. The process happens on the field or in proper ventilated rooms.