Does anyone grow shallots???

[HunkieDorie23]

I just ordered some shallot seed (matador). I am not really sure what I am going to do with them. They were on sale and I got caught up in the moment.

Anyway, I know that they are easy to grow from bulbs and they are similar to onions. Anyway, I read that to start your own onion sets you plant the seed 12 weeks before the first frost, then about a week before the first frost bend down the tops. After the frost you havest them and let them dry and put away for the spring planting.

I was wondering if I could do that with shallots. Just start them now seed and then plant them in the fall as bulbs (I am assuming that is what they will be then) and harvest them next summer. Does anyone know if this will work? If not I can just put them away.

 

[hoodat]

You can store them the same as onions or just pull them and use them like green onions.

 

[HunkieDorie23]

You can store them the same as onions or just pull them and use them like green onions.

BINGO, That is what I thought. Now I am so excited. I hope they come tomorrow. I am going to try to get some onion seeds on sale too. I am not going to plant them until Dec or Jan but I am hoping to get some good deals on them.

 

[vfem]

I wish I was more help, but because of short day and long day types and the southern versus northern types and zones.... I plant mine in fall and I don't harvest until late spring early summer.

So I'm all backwards to what you are asking.

Like Hood said, I know they store in the same manor! And its the eating that's the part I am all about.

 

[usschicago1]

They grow all around my yard. Very Hardy!

 

[digitS']

I've got some Picador shallot seed planted - something new this year! It is just direct-seeded in the garden.

I did that with Prisma shallots a couple of years ago and that turned out really well . I read recently that one shouldn't plant the bulbs after growing them from seed but it worked just fine last year altho' about 3, bolted into bloom.

I've grown shallots from sets for about 20 years. It is easy peasy. Those originals, along with the Prisma sets, are up and growing nicely in my garden right now. They were among the first things planted.

The shallots will be harvested in July. The bulbs go in a basket and spend the winter in my unheated garage. Things freeze in there but the shallots come out fine. I plant them out in the garden about the end of March.

I'm fairly sure that I could grow shallots just like garlic and plant them out in October or November. It is just that I've never done that. Gotta be careful not to eat all the shallots during the winter, tho' !

That brings me to the "frugality" issue . . . I used to use shallots for scallions but realized that they are an awfully expensive product for that. Tasty but, they aren't very productive and quite expensive if I had to buy them. Besides, I can go thru a lot of them in just a couple of months during the winter. I'm left with this desire to eat everything in that basket . . . and have no bulbs for setting out :/!

Steve

 

[hoodat]

If you are going to plant bulbs just get the ones from the grocery store. They're cheaper than the ones from garden suppliers and grow just as well. I haven't harvested yet but it looks as though I'll get back 6 or 7 bulbs for each one I planted.

 

[hoodat]

Speaking of shallots I noticed a hump in a pathway this morning where something was trying to break through. It turned out to be a shallot I have been walking on for over a month. Determined little guy.

 

[digitS']

Picador is "peeking" above the soil surface today .

The seedlings are not fully extended out the soil, yet. It was much later than necessary to sow them but, hopefully, I got the weed seed out of the way by waiting several extra weeks.

Weeding onion seedlings IS a good way to thin them, however. DRASTICALLY thin them, that is!

Steve