Are you in need of in-depth knowledge on onion and garlic production? If yes, we are a call away. Our service chatter includes: Onion seedlings, Garlic seedlings, Farm planning services, Soil testing, 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. Are you considering entering the lucrative sector of onion farming in Kenya? Look no further. At Onion Doctor, we offer a suite of services designed to propel your onion plantation to success. From on-farm and online training modules to full-season agronomic support, we are your partners in every step of the onion farming journey. Don’t miss out on the competitive advantages we provide—reach out to us for unparalleled services. Is onion farming a smart agricultural investment on a ¼ acre piece of land? Onion Farming Investment on a ¼ Acre Keywords: Onion farming in Kenya, agricultural investment, onion plantation Wondering if onion farming is a smart move on a ¼ acre piece of land? Absolutely! The rising demand for onions in Kenya ensures a high market demand and low supply levels. Invest in onion plantations for a future that guarantees profitable gains. Partner with Onion Doctor to optimize your investment with expert guidance. Onion Varieties and Quality Seedlings Keywords: Onion varieties in Kenya, high-quality seedlings, disease-resistant seeds Explore the diverse world of onion varieties suitable for Kenyan climatic conditions, including Texas Grano, Red Pinoy, Red Creole, and Red Bombay. Secure your success by booking high-quality, disease-resistant seedlings with Onion Doctor. Elevate your yields with our commitment to excellence. Climatic Considerations and Planting Techniques: Onion as a vegetable grows best under these climatic conditions, 1900 meters above sea level and between 13 – 20 degrees Celsius. In Kenya, the most favorable regions to grow onions include; Naivasha, Bugoma, Oloitotok, Kakamega, and Meru. This does not mean that you cannot grow onions in your locality. Like any other plant or crop, creating the most favorable conditions for growth is the most important aspect of farming.Let’s get down to the real business of planting our seedlings.  Dig shallow furrows 15 cm apart and plant your seedlings mixed with manure for improved seedling spread. Immediately after planting mulch your seedbed to prevent weeds from growing. Water your nursery frequently . After this water, the seedlings accordingly avoid a water log which kills the plants. Best Plant Husbandry practices:  After the tenth day your seedlings begin to germinate, remove the mulch and create an overhead cover to protect your plants from direct sunlight. Watch out for pests and diseases that strike your plants. By weeding regularly and application of preferred fertilizer you allow your plants to have the maximum growth hence yields. Transplant happens at 6 weeks, then seedlings have developed three to five strong leaves and pencil-like base. Manage shock levels during transplant by removing overhead shed one week earlier. This allows the plants to become accustomed to direct sunlight enabling plant survival levels. Once transplanting has taken place remember to continue with the plant husbandry until harvest time Harvesting, Packaging, and Storage: Onions mature 3 -4 months after plantation. It’s harvest time when plants dry off their leaves, or bulbs begin to bulge from the ground. To improve drying, uproot the plants and cut off the leaves. Onions are well dried under shade this reduces burn from direct sunlight and withering of the bulbs. Package your products in well-aerated nets, this prevents moisture build-up which lowers product quality. Onion Doctor is your dedicated partner in the journey of onion farming. From seedling to harvest, our services, including quality and affordable seedlings, farm planning, soil testing, drip irrigation installation, agronomic support, and on-farm training, are tailored for smallholder farmers across Africa. Optimize your yields, enhance your profits—contact Onion Doctor and elevate your onion farming venture to unprecedented success.

Are you in need of in-depth knowledge on onion and garlic production? If yes, we are a call away. Our service chatter includes: Onion seedlings, Garlic seedlings, Farm planning services, Soil testing, 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. Onion Farming in Kenya: Preparation and Fertilizing: Onions require full sun, good soil drainage and soil rich in nitrogen. Choose a location that gets plenty of direct sun and where your onion plants will not be shaded by other crops. Onions grow best on raised beds or raised rows at least 4 inch high and 20inch wide. Pull and remove all visible weeds. The soil should be loose and crumbly. If it’s compacted, work in compost to improve aeration and drainage. Onions are heavy feeders and require consistent feeding to produce big solid bulbs. At planting time, prepare the soil first with compost and also work in a good source of granular, high nitrogen fertilizer. As plants grow and begin to bulb up, plan to supplement feed every few weeks with a high nitrogen. Onion Farming in Kenya: Watering Water thoroughly after planting and regularly thereafter – onions require about 1 inch of water per week and the closer to harvest, the greater the need for regular watering. They have shallow roots, so don’t let the soil at the base of the plants become dry and cracked. If an onion plant fails to receive enough water, it will not make a large bulb. Overwatering is equally problematic – if leaves develop a yellow tinge, cut back on watering. Drip irrigation is a good way to stay on top of onions water needs and helps discourage foliar diseases. When bulbs are mature, the onion tops will begin to fall over. At this point, stop watering and let the soil dry out before harvesting. We the Onion Doctor , has best high quality drip irrigation kit, at a very competitive price depending on your land acreage. Reach to us for a quote and guidelines on how to set up the drip lines. Onion Farming in Kenya: Planting Rows should be made 12-18 inches apart. If you want the onions to grow to mature bulbs, plant them 4-6 inches apart and 1inch deep (and no deeper, as this will inhibit their ability to bulb). If you prefer to harvest some earlier as green onions, space them 2 inches apart and pull every other onion during the growing season, leaving the rest to grow to maturity. When the ground starts to crack as the onions push the soil away, the bulbing process has begun. Stop fertilizing at this point. Do not heap soil up around the bulbing onions; it’s normal and beneficial for much of the onion bulb to be above the ground as they mature. Onion Farming In Kenya: Weeding: Weed control is especially important early in the growing season to prevent competition for nutrients. When the onions start to bulb up, push the mulch back so that they get good air circulation. Onion Farming in Kenya: Pest and disease control: The most common conditions that affect onions are blight, purple blotch and thrips. They are caused by fungus and are more common during periods of high moisture. Blight appears as small white spots surrounded by a greenish halo. Purple blotch causes a purplish discoloration of leaves. Proper plant spacing helps increase air flow and reduces both blight and purple blotch. Thrips are sucking insects that sometimes attack onion plants, causing the leaves to turn grey or silvery. Thrips are barely visible as tiny yellow or dark specks about 1 mm long. Organic controls for thrips include safer soap or Pyrethrin. They can hide in weeds, so be sure to weed your garden patch after harvest and control weeds in the onion bed throughout the growing season. Onion Farming in Kenya: Harvesting: Proper treatment at harvest maximizes the amount of time you’ll be able to store your onions. When the tops of the onions turn brown or yellow and fall over, it’s time to harvest. Ideally, the plant will have about 13 leaves at this point. Pull the onions early in the morning on a sunny day and shake off excess soil. Dry the onions in the sun for two days. To prevent sunscald, lay the tops of one row over the bulbs of another. Onion Doctor supports small holder farmers across Africa with quality and affordable Onion and Garlic seedlings, Onion seedlings, Farm planning services, Soil testing, Drip irrigation installation and maintenance, Agronomic support, Onion and Garlic value pack, Farm management, E-extension and on-farm training for farmers to optimize on yields and get maximum profits.

Are you in need of in-depth knowledge on onion and garlic production? If yes, we are a call away. Our service chatter includes: Onion seedlings, Garlic seedlings, Farm planning services, Soil testing, 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. Dive into the world of hybrid onions and discover how they are revolutionizing onion farming in Kenya. With yield potentials ranging from 20-40 tons per acre, hybrid onions, such as the Red Coach F1 and Malbec F1, are gaining popularity among Kenyan farmers. In this guide, we explore the attributes of Red Coach F1, a high-yielding early maturing variety, and provide valuable insights into nursery establishment, transplanting, spacing, maturity, harvesting, and storage techniques. They are early maturing variety that matures in 75days after transplanting. A high yielder giving a farmer over 23tones per acre of onion bulbs at harvest on average, Excellent medium to large sized bulbs which are very uniform, The bulbs possess a shiny red coloured outer skin and a more red internal flesh with excellent FLAVOR &PUNGENCY. Bulbs as well possess a perfect shelf life of up-to 6months from harvest time. This variety exhibits self curing character.(the onion plants bend their necks uniformly on their own at maturity time.) This guarantees our farmers a uniform harvest. Important Attributes of Red Coach F1: Early maturing variety; 80-90 days from transplanting It’s a mid-short day hybrid red bulb onion variety It’s flattened globe shape bulb onion Produces medium to large dark red bulbs Very vigorous plant with strong root system which makes it ideal for hot growing conditions Has firm bulbs with good storage ability of up to 3 months It’s a pink rot resistant variety which makes it ideal for most Kenyan soils It produces 25-30 tons of uniformly mature deep red bulbs Nursery Establishment: Make raised beds in rainy seasons and sunken beds in dry seasons of 1 m width and of any desired length. Apply well decomposed manure at the rate of 5kgs per square meter-mix and apply D.A.P at 0.5 kg per square meter . Make shallow furrows of 15 cm apart and 1-2 cm deep Plant the seeds and cover lightly with the soil and apply mulch Make raised beds in rainy seasons and sunken beds in dry seasons of 1 m width and of any desired length. Apply well decomposed manure at the rate of 5kgs per square meter-mix and apply D.A.P at 0.5 kg per square meter Make shallow furrows of 15 cm apart and 1-2 cm deep Plant the seeds and cover lightly with the soil and apply mulch Transplanting: Transplant of seedlings takes 6-8 weeks after sowing when they have attained pencil thickness and 15 cm of height. Transplant when seedlings have 3-5 well-formed leaves. Two weeks before transplanting, reduce the shade to improve seedling survival rate in the field Spacing: Onions are spaced at 30 cm by 7-10 cm Maturity: Red coach F1 takes 3 months to full physiological maturity Harvesting: Onions are ready to harvest when they form a shiny membranous cover around the bulbs or when the foliage withers. Harvest when rains are little or during dry season, Harvesting is done by pulling the bulbs carefully from the soil then chopping off the leaves or by bunching the onions together and hanging them up in an airy space for about a week until all the outer leaves are nicely dried then bulbs can be easily pulled from the bunches. Storage: Don’t store freshly harvested bulbs on the floor, the floor increases humidity hence high rate of rotting. Put onions in loose bags/nets and store them in a well-constructed storage facility As hybrid onions pave the way for increased yields and profitability in Kenyan farming, Onion Doctor stands as a reliable partner for smallholder farmers. Contact us today for quality and affordable onion and garlic seedlings, expert agronomic support, and a range of services designed to optimize yields and maximize profits in your farming venture. Onion Doctor supports small holder farmers across Africa with quality and affordable Onion and Garlic seedlings, Onion seedlings, Farm planning services, Soil testing, Drip irrigation installation and maintenance, Agronomic support, Onion and Garlic value pack, Farm management, E-extension and on-farm training for farmers to optimize on yields and get maximum profits.