What is the best time to plant onions in Kenya?
What is the best time to plant onions in Kenya?
The best time is between November to May as onions fetch high prices due to low supply from Tanzania. The common varieties grown in Kenya include Jambar F1, Islero, Red creole, Red Passion and Red Pinnoy. All the varieties in Kenya prefer warm to hot temperatures, that is 15-30 degrees Celsius.
What is the best way to grow onions?
You can grow onions from seed, but it’s much easier and quicker to grow them from sets (small onions). Plant these in autumn or spring, 10-15cm apart in well-prepared, moisture-retentive, fertile soil in full sun. Keep the area weed free and water in dry periods.
How long does onions take to grow?
100 to 175 days
Since onions already take a long time to mature, you can start them indoors. An onion’s average growth rate is 100 to 175 days till maturity.
How much is 1kg of onions in Kenya?
Kenya onions wholesale price Kenya’s import price for onions in 2019 was US$0.29 per kilogram.
How much does it cost to plant onions in Kenya?
Capital Required To Cultivate An Acre Of Onions When undertaking small-scale onion farming in Kenya, one requires a capital cost of anything between Ksh 100,000 to Ksh 200,000.
What month do you plant onions?
Onions like cool weather in the early part of their growth, so plant them in spring — except in mild-winter areas, where onions are grown as a fall or winter crop. Generally speaking, onions grow tops in cool weather and form bulbs when the weather warms.
What is the best month to plant onions?
The best time to sow onion sets is mid March to mid April. If you are sowing red onion sets is better to leave them till April as they are more prone to bolting and a later planting may help. Sets can also be sown in Autumn from September to early October.
How many onions will one plant produce?
One onion grows per onion plant. There is one variety of onion known as the potato onion, or multiplier onion, that grows around 5 onions per plant. The potato onion is classified scientifically as Allium cepa var. aggregatum, and is more closely related to the shallot or garlic than most onions.
How long does onions take to grow in Kenya?
Major types of onions farmed in Kenya are bulb onions and spring onions. The best areas suited for farming being Karatina, Oloitoktok, Naivasha, Kieni, Emali and Mai Mahiu. Bulb onions take 3 to 4 months to reach maturity. Short rains are great for bulb onions since they can be harvested between January and February.
How much is a kg of onions in Kenya 2020?
After 3 months of transplanting the onions it can produce a yield of 20,000 Kgs bulbs. 1 Kg of Onions at market price goes @ Ksh 40 i.e 20,000 Kgs × 40 Shillings = Ksh. 800,000 minus average cost of production which is Ksh. 150, 000 per Acre = Ksh 650, 000 Net income.
How many onions is 1 kg?
6 onions
1kg is approximately 6 onions.
When is the best time to grow onions in Kenya?
The best areas suited for farming being Karatina, Oloitoktok, Naivasha, Kieni, Emali and Mai Mahiu. Bulb onions take 3 to 4 months to reach maturity. Short rains are great for bulb onions since they can be harvested between January and February.
Where are the lowest prices for onions in Kenya?
Nairobi is experiencing the lowest prices at the moment at 825 kshs per 15 kg bag. This can be attributed to Nairobi being the capital city and many farmers who produce the vegetable are in areas closely bordering it, such as Karatina, Mai Mahiu, Emali and Kieni having easy access to the market.
What should the temperature be to grow onions?
Onion farming is a worthy venture since it’s possible to grow onions throughout the year via irrigation. Soil test with accredited laboratories is advised. The ideal temperatures onions need to grow are between 13 – 35 degrees centigrade.
How tall do onions have to be to harvest?
Bulb onions are ready for harvesting once they form a shiny membranous cover around the bulbs or when the foliage withers. Spring onions are ready for harvesting when they are 15 centimeters tall and 1.5 centimeters thick. Harvesting is done by pulling the bulbs and then chopping off the leaves.