Drip Irrigation for Onions and Garlic in Kenya. Aqua Hub Kenya has quality drip kits.
Onions can be irrigated using drip, overhead and surface irrigation but drip is the best method.
Drip kits enhance balance in water supply and saves more water compared to other methods.
Why drip irrigation for Onions and garlic?
Onions are prone to fungal infections, especially the leaf-edible type. This requires an irrigation system which does not wet the leaves.
Drip irrigation introduces water directly to the root zones of onion plants thereby enhancing water absorption. The method allows irrigation in droplet form, a feature that prevents the force of water from uprooting plants.
Conditions for onion growth
Soil Requirement
Onions grow well in soil with neutral PH. They require lots of sunshine. Light soils with good drainage and water holding capacity are suitable for growth of onion and garlic.
Garlic do not grow bigger and healthy bulbs in waterlogging soil.
Water Requirement for Onions
Onion and garlic plants require more water for healthy growth of leaves and bulb formation.
Onions should be irrigated frequently regarding the soil water holding capacity. For instance Highly loamy soils need water supply for at least 4 times a week. On the other hand, light and coarse soils lose water faster and requires irrigation for more than 5 times a week.
Complete Onion Drip Kit System
- Water Tank
- HDPE or PVC pipes
- Drip emitters
- Connectors
- Valves
- Fertilizer injector
- Filtration Kits
Spacing of Onion Drip Emitter
Onions should not be farther spaced, and they require drip emitters spacing of 20 cm. The farm needs to be divided into beds or sections with 3 drip lines per bed. The drip lines or emitters need to be laid down 1 meter apart and beds spaced 2 meters apart.
How Drip Irrigation for Onions and Garlic lowers weeds and Pests
Drip irrigation only wets the plant lines and does not encourage the growth of weeds in onion farms.
However, onions have shallow roots and during rainy seasons, they face stiff competition with weeds for nutrients, water, and sunlight. Applying mulches keeps onions free from weeds to ensure they are moist and healthy for bulb formation.
With few weeds, pests and diseases accumulation in onion plants is greatly reduced.
Sowing Onions Seeds
Propagating onions is easy and requires few steps that may take up to 6–8 weeks for seedling transplant. During this period, constant irrigation is necessary for healthy onion seedlings to grow. The steps are:
- Preparing the soil and breaking big soil into fine particles
- Preparing seedbeds
- Put soil or coco peat into seedling trays.
- Sow four seeds per cell for about half an inch depth. Do the same in case you are propagating in beds.
- Constant daily water supply until the seedlings are mature enough for transplant.
Transplanting of onions Seedlings
During transplanting, ensure the soil is warmer or a sunny period for suitable condition of bulb growth. Necessary steps are:
1. Dig the planting holes on the farm sections or beds.
2. The planting holes should be 15-20 cm deep for sufficient access to water and nutrients in the topsoil.
3. Plant the Seedlings at a uniform space 20 cm apart on a planting line so that they correspond to the spacing of the drip line.
Cost of Drip Irrigation Kits for Onions and Garlic in Kenya
| Size/ Line per bed | 1 Line | 2 lines | 3 Lines |
| 1 acre | 75,000 | 130,000 | 160,000 |
| 1/2 acre | 40,000 | 61,000 | 71,000 |
| 1/4 acre | 28,000 | 40,000 | 50,000 |
| 1/8 acre | 13,000 | 23,000 | 26,000 |
Where to Purchase Onion drip Kits
Aqua Hub Kenya is the leading supplier of quality drip kits for onions, garlics, tomatoes and other plants. Our kits are affordable and consist of strong and durable plastics.
Call 0790719020
