Growing Onion in Machakos

Soil suitability analysis based on Machakos's nutrient profile

Machakos County is well suited to Onion, scoring 81/100 on ShambaIQ's soil-match model. At an average pH of 7.03 the soil sits above Onion's preferred 6–7 range, which can limit uptake of phosphorus and micronutrients. The main gap is nitrogen — measured at N 0.82 g/kg, P 31.4 mg/kg, K 338 mg/kg against this crop's high/high/medium demand — so the fertilizer plan below prioritises closing that deficit. The county's predominantly sandy loam soils suit Onion, which favours sandy loam. At current prices (about KES 45/kg) and a typical 3,500 kg/acre yield, a well-managed Onion crop here can gross roughly KES 157,500 per acre.