How to Grow Shallots
Who wants to grow shallots? They are so delicious and quite simple to grow. Learn how plus get some recommendations on varieties to try below.
Latin Name: Allium cepa aggregatum
Plant Family: Amaryllidaceae
Cool-season crop
Did You Know?
Shallots have a milder, more elegant onion flavor and are easier to digest. They add a touch of class to recipes and have a wide range of uses. Just as with onions, shallots are sensitive to day length. Most gardeners prefer planting shallot sets as they mature more quickly than those started from seed. Each set will produce clusters of shallots, giving you much more than your money’s worth.
NOTE: If you’d like to hear how my husband Bill chooses shallot varieties, don’t miss this blog post: How to Grow Onions & Shallots.
Plant Seeds or Seedlings? Grow shallots by planting them indoors from seeds or purchase shallot sets from a garden center.
When: If starting indoors, sow seeds 8 weeks prior to planting them into the garden. Shallots can be planted in the fall and harvested the following summer, or in the spring for a fall harvest.
Days to Germination: 7 days
Depth to Sow: 1/2 inch (seeds), submerge all but the tip of each set in the soil.
Spacing: Plant seeds 2 inches apart and sets 6 inches apart.
Days to Maturity: 110 to 120 days
Cultural Information:
Choose a sunny location for your shallot planting, although they will tolerate a bit of shade. Prepare bed by working bonemeal into the top 3 inches of soil. If starting with shallot bulbs, separate each bulb into individual cloves and plant them with the pointed end facing upward. Water the bed regularly and keep up with the weeds, being careful not to disturb the roots of the shallots.
After you have harvested the shallots and cured them for 3 weeks (refer to “When to Harvest” below), reserve some of your largest bulbs for your next planting.
Susan’s Picks: ‘Camelot’, ‘Conservor’, ‘French’, ‘French Grey’ (Allium oschaninii), ‘Matador’, ‘Red’, ‘Zebrune’
Potential Insect Problems: onion maggots
When to Harvest:
Pull up shallots when their leaves turn brown and fall over. Move them to a dry, protected area for 3 weeks. This curing period will allow them to be stored for a few months.
How to Cook & Preserve:
Use shallots in all sorts of culinary dishes. You can also store them in boxes in a chilly garage during the fall and winter. To save some for later enjoyment, chop up a few shallots, put them into freezer bags and place in freezer.
Back to Vegetable Grow Guide Chart
Copyright: Susan Mulvihill, Susan’s in the Garden, SusansintheGarden.com.