Picture this: In just 60 to 75 days, your shamba transforms from bare soil to a sea of vibrant green stalk that restaurants, mama mbogas and exporters are fighting over. No wait three months. No curing sheds, no storage headaches. Just plant, harvest and get paid. Spring onion farming in Kenya is the ultimate side hustle turned main hustle. While your neighbor is still waiting for the maize to dry, you’ve already banked two harvests.Spring onions, commonly known as scallions, green onions, or bunching onions, are simple to cultivate for both home use and commercial farming. They are popular among consumers because they add flavor to many dishes, including soups and salads, which is why they are also referred to as salad onions. Unlike bulb onions, this type is grown from seed mainly for its tender stems and flavorful dark green leaves rather than for bulb formation. It is an early-maturing and high-yielding crop with attractive, tasty foliage. The growing process starts in a nursery, where seeds are raised before the seedlings are transplanted into the field for proper growth and establishment.
Ideal Climatic Conditions for spring onions:
- Altitude: 500-2500mm above sea level.Areas like Machakos,Meru and Nyeri.
- Temperature: 13°C and 24°C, which promote healthy leaf development and good stem quality.
- Rainfall: 600-1200mm annually. You can suppliment with drip irrigation.
- pH: 6.0-7.0. Test and adjust with lime if needed
- Sunlight: 6-8 hours daily.
Tip: Spring onions hate waterlogged soils if you are inb heavy rainfall zone like Kisii build raise beds to ensure drainage.
STEP BY STEP FROM SEED TO HARVEST:
- Nursery Establishment:
- Prepare raised beds 1m wide.
- Mix in goat manure and phosphatic fertilzers.
- Sow in the seeds
- Mulch with grass
- Water gently.
- Seedlings will be ready in 4-6 weeks or when they are pencil thick base and a height of about 15cm.
2. Transplanting: Transplanting is done during cool weather, either early in the morning or late in the evening, because the plants are less tolerant to scorching sunlight with a spacing of 15-20cm between rows and 8-10cm between plants.If transplanting is carried out during the dry season, the field should be watered before and after planting to help the seedlings establish properly.
3. Watering: Consistent moisture is required. Drip irrigation is the best.Drip kits from are Onion Doctor are recommended as the best.
4. Fertilizer Application: Organic manure+Top dressing with Nitrogen sources.
5.Weeding: Keep your field clean. Weeds steal nutrients and habor pests.
6. Pests and Diseases: Watch out for downey mildew, puple blotch, onion fly and leaf miners.
7. Harvesting: Harvesting may begin as early as two months after sowing, although some crops may require an additional 2–4 weeks to mature. Spring onions are ready for consumption when their leaves are upright, green, and tender.Farmers with small land holdings can engage in spring onion farming because the crop is easy to grow and adapts well to a wide range of climatic conditions.
Key Price Trends:
- Retail Price: KSh 40 – 130 per kg depending on location and quality.
- Wholesale Price: ~KSh 100 per kg.
- Per Bunch: ~KSh 29 – 59.
- Large Quantity (142kg Bag): Approx. KSh 2,183
Are you in need of in-depth knowledge on onion and garlic production? If yes, we are a call away. Contact us for: Onion seedlings, Garlic seedlings, Germinated garlic cloves, Farm planning services, Soil testing, training on onion and garlic growing, Drip irrigation installation and maintenance, Agronomic support, Onion and Garlic value pack and Farm management. For free consultation, placing orders or booking a visit with an agronomist, please contact us via Call or what’s app +254703982228, Email: Info@oniondoctor.co.ke. You can also check out our social media handles for daily updates on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@oniondoctorke?_t=ZM-8wmsTu0qumO&_r=1 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oniondoctorke?igsh=MTVoaHF3aWUydTJzaQ==Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/share/16SwgYn2dG/ Youtube:https://youtube.com/@oniondoctorke?si=u5Jnd-r0qU9UDYqL and Twitter: https://x.com/OnionDoctorKe?t=FR3JXlS_oN1vjjUgAtfyzg&s=09.