Growing Shallots

[RidgebackRanch]

We got hooked on growing shallots a few ago and this year I think I learned some interesting facts about growing them.

Finding good sets at garden centers varies every year and wholesale prices vary even more.

I planted sets from a garden center because they looked to be of better quality than what was available last year. They are coming up and looking great, only two have not sprouted yet.

Then I saw some enormous one at an organic grocery store and couldn't resist (even $6.49/pound). They have sprouted and are doing very well. There was a little open space in the same bed so I bought some conventional ones from antoher grocery store and no sprouting in 3 1/2 weeks, they are now in the compost pile.

Yesterday I did a little reaserch and read this. The actual sets will form the multiple bulbs and the bulbs from the grocery store will grow but will probably just produce seeds and not the multiple bulbs. Sounds good to me, I hope to grow out the really big organic shallots to produce the seeds and plant them for the bulbs the next season.

It will be fun to see what happens this season and it would be exciting to get viable seeds to grow next year.

 

[dickiebird]

I'm attempting shallots for the 1st time this yr. The only reason it's my 1st time is I have never seen them available before.
I bought mine at W/Mart and they look to have all sprouted.
We'll see!!!

THANX RICH

 

[Jared77]

Good to know I'm not the only one trying them this year...mine came from the nursery so we'll see.

 

[digitS']

I really like shallots. They were the 1st things in the garden this year and that ground can be planted to something else after they come out in July.

The bulbs really store well. The only problem for me with saving sets is eating too many during the winter . Well, I've only done that once . . . we ate all the Dutch golden shallots one winter. I didn't realize that until the French shallots (alone) were being planted out in the spring.

For about 5 years now, I've sown a little shallot seed also. These are all supposed to be hybrids. I've grown Prisma & Picador and saved sets for the following year. I think I once said that about 10% of them will just bolt to seed. I think it may be a little more than that. Still, some do not and multiply the bulbs in the soil. I haven't tried to save seed from them. Hoodat was doing that and reported that it worked fine.

I think it is probably better to eat the larger bulbs if you do not want bolting plants. But, don't eat all of your bulbs thru winter - spring springs eternal!

Steve

 

[momofdrew]

I plan on growing shallots for the 1st time this year also...I will be going to my garden center this weekend to pick them up...

 

[897tgigvib]

I really like Shallots and Leeks too, but alas, I can't grow them here because anything Allium attracts the kind of gourmet Gophers we have here. I have to do everything I can to deter these Gophers. The one step that would be perfect to keep them out, using Gopher wire, just like chicken wire except a tighter weave and heavier gauge wire, set under the garden, I am not allowed to do by the powers that be. They don't want iron rusting in the soil. I do use plastic netting under my entire garden as one of my measures, but that would only deter a random gopher tunneling around.

Last month I even bought Leek seed absent mindedly. I may put them into a friend's garden. They have 5 cats that are often outside getting gophers, but my cats are inside, and my gophergitter Abyssinian only goes into the garden if the gophers show up, a thing I'd rather not do.

But preliminary plans are being made for another much larger garden in a year or two, about 4 miles from here. Among the plans are ways to entirely stop Gophers so Alliums can be grown.

Several Shallot types, the hottest possible Garlics, Walking Onions, Perennial Bunching Onions, species and heirloom Chives. These things also attract Bears, but I'm sure methods can be done, such as hiding with plastic, ensuring bulbs are harvested without releasing aromas...

Sometimes ya have to be smarter than the wild animals.

 

[Jared77]

Marshall can you grow them in buckets like potatoes? Worst thing that happens is you don't get any and you've got a bucket full of dirt.

 

[897tgigvib]

Good idea, but I think my gourmet gophers would still smell it.

But...maybe in pots, and far from my garden...

I am thinking, maybe in pots that I keep on my boat in the water!

Which reminds me...

 

[RidgebackRanch]

When planting shallot seed, is it best to plant in the spring or plant late summer to over winter and produce the following summer?

 

[digitS']

You know, I'm quite sure that most people plant them in the fall - like garlic.

I don't. They've always taken their chances in a basket overwintering in the garage. "Taking their chances" that I don't eat them . They are really hardy. It freezes in there but in 20 years, they haven't had a problem with that.

As I say, they go out as early or earlier than the onion sets in my garden.

O wait!! You are asking about sowing seed! I've always done that in the spring, also. I hadn't thought about overwintering them in the garden as seedlings. I don't know why it wouldn't work.

Steve