digitS'
Garden Master
I like certain extension services around the US. Seems like I'm often turning to some in the South for information. Maybe it is the clarity and I don't want to slight Cornell or Purdue or Colorado State but Texas A & M, Clemson, U of North Carolina ... good sources for me 
. I can just do some adapting of the recommendations for my conditions.
Here is Texas on growing onions (link) and something that has been important for my onion growing, fertilizer: "Onions require a high source of nitrogen. A nitrogen-based fertilizer (ammonium sulfate or ammonium nitrate) should be applied at the rate of one cup per twenty feet of row. The first application should be about three weeks after planting and then continue with applications every 2 to 3 weeks. Once the neck starts feeling soft do not apply any more fertilizer. This should occur approximately 4 weeks prior to harvest." That is a lot of fertilizer and fertilizing. "For organic gardeners a rich compost high in Nitrogen should be incorporated into the soil."
Well, I follow that last sentence and since organic fertilizer is slow to become available, I try not to skimp on it.
In recent years, I used an organic lawn fertilizer for the onions. I made the joke that the sound of a lawnmower would make them tremble ... but the high N that people want on lawn grass seemed especially appropriate.
That fertilizer is no longer available so I'm back to using bagged composed chicken manure. My own compost is too coarse to be sprinkling on young onion plants. It can go for soil prep but I'd better have commercial stuff for side dressing onions.
Of course, they appreciate the mulching with high N compost. Most plants do.
Steve
. I can just do some adapting of the recommendations for my conditions.Here is Texas on growing onions (link) and something that has been important for my onion growing, fertilizer: "Onions require a high source of nitrogen. A nitrogen-based fertilizer (ammonium sulfate or ammonium nitrate) should be applied at the rate of one cup per twenty feet of row. The first application should be about three weeks after planting and then continue with applications every 2 to 3 weeks. Once the neck starts feeling soft do not apply any more fertilizer. This should occur approximately 4 weeks prior to harvest." That is a lot of fertilizer and fertilizing. "For organic gardeners a rich compost high in Nitrogen should be incorporated into the soil."
Well, I follow that last sentence and since organic fertilizer is slow to become available, I try not to skimp on it.
In recent years, I used an organic lawn fertilizer for the onions. I made the joke that the sound of a lawnmower would make them tremble ... but the high N that people want on lawn grass seemed especially appropriate.
That fertilizer is no longer available so I'm back to using bagged composed chicken manure. My own compost is too coarse to be sprinkling on young onion plants. It can go for soil prep but I'd better have commercial stuff for side dressing onions.
Of course, they appreciate the mulching with high N compost. Most plants do.
Steve
