According to John: Can Onions grow in Poor Soil?

Onions are the second most popular homegrown horticultural crop, after the tomato. They are powerhouses of nutrition, not to mention delicious and versatile! Populations of onion consumers have much lower rates of stomach cancer and lower blood pressure than non-consuming populations. Research indicates onions protect against growth of tumors and Chinese Medicine uses onions to treat angina, coughs, bacterial infections and breathing problems.

In early February of this year, ( in the interest of supercharging our health) Jorge, Erica (John and Bob’s staff) and I planted a bunch of tiny little red and white onion plants and a few garlic cloves over about 700 sq ft in the back of our nursery on some lousy soil we have been improving with John & Bob’s GrowGreen Smart Soil Solutions. In late January, before planting the onions, I mixed together 3lbs of OPTIMIZE, 6lbs of NOURISH Biosol and 8lbs of MAXIMIZE and I scattered it by hand, topically, everywhere over the 700 sq ft. We then built rows of soil, raised about 3-5” and installed drip irrigation and planted the onions and garlic about 4-6” apart. One week later, I mixed the same products in the same amounts (MAXIMIZE, OPTIMIZE, NOURISH-Biosol) and applied it right on top of the newly planted onions on top of the rows. These products fed the plants and built the micro-biology of the soil and they did it all organically! Two weeks after the second application of our dry products, we sprayed 8oz of our PENETRATE-Liquid Biotiller for its beneficial bacteria and special compounds that feed bacteria while encouraging development of plant growth compounds. Despite the poor health of the soil when we started, our onion crop was a complete success! We harvested a full crop in June and July! These are happy, healthy plants with large, firm heads and no evidence if disease, distress or malnourishment. And the soil has changed too! John and Bob's can transform and improve poor soil in just one season!