Preparation for onion bed

[emilykf]

Hello again! After everyone's advice on the other thread we've now made our final decisions and ordered our seeds for next year (woo hoo!) and also onion sets for overwintering. We're preparing a new bed at the moment, we've previously dug it over with some compost, and have read that we should rake it with fertilizer beforehand. Just wanted people's opinions really, should we use just a general fertilizer or doesn anyone have hot tips for something that works well with onions?

Many thanks!

[FionaH]

It was suggested on here that I use some chicken manure pellets before I planted onions

[Bigmallly]

I used Blood & Bonemeal last year & they did well.

[Pies]

Just planted my winter onions,used well rotted horse manure,blood fish and bone and some superphosthate as well.Late next spring i will probably add some sulphate of potash

[j r hilton]

I have always found that chicken pellets have been good enough for over the winter and then again in spring when they begin grow more.

[winstonwobble]

didnt know you had to fertilize the beds for onions just planted mine today and didnt put anything on it can i just chuck some rotted horse poo on it and let it soak in ?

[Snadger]

didnt know you had to fertilize the beds for onions just planted mine today and didnt put anything on it can i just chuck some rotted horse poo on it and let it soak in ?

If your soil is in good heart you can probably get away without giving ANY additional nutrients until the spring. They deffo don't need nitrogen rich fertilisers which will promote soft leaf growth! This would be at risk from frost etc.
What you really need to aim for is a good root system with very little top growth.
Mine get a handful of bonemeal per square yard to give a bit of phosphate.............thats if I remember to add it!

[winstonwobble]

Thanks snage