Fertilizer for Onion Soil Prep ?
 

Yesterday, we picked up some onion sets. All from Dixondale.

Texas 1015 Super Sweet
Candy (Yellow)
Red Candy Apple

We're going to plant them tomorrow. I usually use 10-10-10 fertilizer for soil prep, but I don't have any right now. What I do have is called:

Ortho RosePride Systemic Fertilizer 8-12-4. It says it is slow-release granules and feeds for 6 weeks for strong beautiful roses.

The fact is that it is around 10 years old and needs to be used up. Do you think this would be alright to use for onion soil prep?

[URL="http://www.dixondalefarms.com/onionfertilization"]http://www.dixondalefarms.com/onionfertilization[/URL]

So the rose stuff is highest on P, but the Dixiondale fertilizing guide recommends more N and K relative to P.

For my onions, I apply some composted chicken manure I purchase, called Chickity-Doo-Doo, which is 5-3-2 and have good results.

I don't know that the rose fert you have is going to create problems either though.

Another [URL="http://learningstore.uwex.edu/Assets/pdfs/A3785.pdf"]useful link[/URL]

Those are useful links. I didn't know about putting them in a shallow dish of water. I'll be doing that shortly.

Next year plant 1015Y seeds in October and go from there.
Onions like nitrogen save the rose food for your okra.

Worth

My systemic rose ferts has insecticide in it that is taken up in the plants system to kill chewing insects. Ofcourse in the case of onions, that would be us.....

I guess I could side dress some 13-13-13 or 10-10-10 when Walmart get's its fertilizer shipment in. We try to buy from Wally World because of our 10% discount and my wife is a very well-liked worker there.

I've read in many places today and before that it is more important to fertilize onions when the bulb is forming instead of when planting seed, transplant, sets, etc.

Good old composted manure is great fertilizer for heavy feediers like onions. Blood meal is high in nitrogen as well if you are considering side dressing with a granular product. I grow nice onions in my organic garden using these things.
KO

Dixondale fertilizing guide:

[url]http://www.dixondalefarms.com/onionfertilization[/url]