Grow Your Own Magazine

I’m looking to prepare my onion bed for next year (same bed as this year). It’s difficult to get horse manure, so I thought I could prepare the bed using green manure. I would need something that I could put in after my present onions are dug up and something that would give the right type of feed for the onions-any ideas from anyone.

PS :I know I’m planning early

Thanks
David

Hi David & welcome to the Vine. One of the problems you are going to have is that a lot of the green manures you could use aren't hardy so that limits you.

If you are looking for Ideas on how to prepare your onion bed have a look here

http://www.exhibition-seed.info/cultivation.htm

Robinsons have been using the same bed for about 100 years ! so it works for them. Also,try looking on Edwin tuckers website as I think they have an online catalogue you can look at or what was HDRA, they have a little booklet on Green manures & they sell them so you may be able to get the info there.

I guess that the best hardy green manure would be hungarian grazing rye & you just cut that down (like hay) in the spring & then leave it for a few days to start & wilt then dig it in. but you won't be able to winter dig the bed if you do this of cause.

Hope that helps

__________________
ntg

Never be afraid to try something new.
Remember that a lone amateur built the Ark.
A large group of professionals built the Titanic

http://grief-encounters.blogspot.com/

My onions were coming out the same size as they went in...so I spoke to the old boy a few plots away who has onions the size of foot balls.......his advice Blood Fish Bone meal.....rake it in before you plant and then again two months later...It worked for me.