top dressing fertilizer for onions?

[Hyacinth]

I'm growing red onions - Electric - blurb says to feed now.....with what, please?

[Hyacinth]

[tim]

Do tell me - I've never fed an onion!

[fbgrifter]

it says on the gardeners' almanac to feed with a high nitrogen fertiliser (chicken poo) and then with a high potash fertiliser in august....but i don't feed mine either.

[Tee Gee]

A high potash feed and definitely no nitrogen if they are starting to swell.

I caught an article on a cable TV programme a couple of years ago where you could not see this old fella's onions for the weeds and he was asked why he grew them this way.

His reply was;

Keep them weed free until they start swelling then let the weeds take over and they will take up the surplus nitrogen, something onions don't want.

I tried it last year and it worked!!!

The only thing is; as it happens I changed the variety I was growing last year so I am not sure if the technique or the variety I used played a part in my success.

I am trying the same method this year to see if I can repeat my success.

If I do then that will be my method from now on.

As they say you are never too old to learn!

[Hyacinth]

...and I thought I'd got 3 replies, all saying the same thing!

I've only grown onions (successfully :-\) once before - another red, Red Baron, & didn't remember feeding them, either.....I've got some chicken pellets, so I'll do a token scattering.....no weeds, tho - my 'plottie' is my garden - don't 'do' weeds :). Interesting, TG, your old feller....

Thanks, all.

[Trixiebelle]

I've had an (honorary!) visit from my lottie neighbour Ahmed today and he told me to feed onions with grass cuttings soaked in water butts. Mind you, he might be trying to nobble my crop  ::) His have got some kind of rust  ;D

[Trixiebelle]

Just read that back and 'nobble my crop' sound a bit rude  :o

How shall I re-phrase it .... 'tinker with my produce' ... no, that's just as bad.

I'm signing off before I get myself into even more trouble  ;D

[tricia]

Does the chicken pellet fertilizer for onions apply to shallots as well?

Tricia

[tim]

Potash in August is a bit strange? That's when you're lifting?

[Lady Cosmos]

I never feed my onions and after they start swelling I do not want any mulch on my onions because I expose the surface of the bulbs to the sun ;D

You can mulch for weed suppressing or for cutting down the need for water but there is no need for this year >:( >:(

[Curryandchips]

I am fascinated by the idea of letting the weeds run riot when the onions start to swell, fairly soon now ... I will find that very easy to comply with  :) Perhaps a trial of a few rows ...