How to Grow Shallots

ThePlantLady

12 years ago

Easy to grow, “the aristocrats of onions”, usually mild and sweet, but can be quite assertive.

Botanical Information

Taxonomy

Aggregatum Group

Allium cepa

History

probably native to Asia, but not known in the wild

Physical Description

Varieties & Cultivars

Categories or Types of Shallots

Shallots, multiplier onions, and potato onions, are essentially the same onion.

Differences:

Leaves:
- potato onions have one group of leaves that comes out of the throat of the bulb, sheathed as one
- shallots, on the other hand, have each leaf sheathed individually
Flowers:
- shallots, although only rarely, are the only ones to flower

Varieties or Colors Available

Gray Shallots:
- called the true shallot
- standard culinary shallot
- can become unpleasantly pungent
- must be planted in the fall
- likely to dry if stored through the winter
- hot weather makes them taste fierce

Growth Requirements

Climate & Temperature Requirements

Air Temperature

Soil Temperature

Humidity

Day Length or Light Requirements

unlike with onions, day length is rarely a consideration with shallots

Site Conditions Favored

Soil Requirements

Soil Texture

well-drained – very important
looser soil equals bigger shallots
must have good drainage or the bulb will rot

pH

ideal: 6.0-6.8
very tolerant: can grow in 5.0-7.0 soils, although not ideal

Nutrient Requirements

shallots prefer fertile soil
use fully broken down compost, from either animal or vegatable sources, but no cedar or redwood
shallots need ample phosphorus
considered to be light feeders

Propagation

Methods of propagation

Seed

Bulbs

Shallot bulbs for seed stock

in very cold areas, plant in spring
in areas with milder winters, they can be planted in the fall
bulbs are direct-sown
separate individual bulbs if still attached at the root
root end goes down into the soil
see Bed Spacing in section below
water well after planting
plant them so the tip is level with the soil

Transplanting or Potting Up

Seed Saving

Planting Out

Bed Prep & Soil Amendments

turn under (or till in) fully-aged, aerobic compost with no cedar or redwood residues
make sure it has ample phosphorous
line the bed with gopher wire or hardware cloth, since gophers like shallots

Bed Spacing

Shallots planted biointensively at 4″ spacing.

traditional: 6-8″ apart in rows 10-12″ apart
biointensive: 4″ apart in all directions
- 240 bulbs (1343 plants) per 100 sq ft
shallot clusters spread out more than garlic bulbs, so they require more room

How to Plant

separate bulbs
larger bulbs are best for planting
plant them just deep enough for the tip to be level with the soil; you should be able to barely see the tip when done
shallot bulbs are prone to rotting, and aren’t very strong to push out of the dirt, so don’t add any mulch

Routine Cultivation & Maintenance

Water Requirements

water well at planting, then don’t water again until soil is dry
water only when soil is dry
in the spring once they start growing, give them 1″ water per week
must have good drainage or the bulb will rot
1″ water per week

Fertilization Recommendations

in spring feed shallots with either composted manure or well-balanced fertilizer before the bulbs start growing
fertilize in spring with a balanced fertilizer
considered to be light feeders

Mulching & Weeding

keep them well-weeded
mulch is not recommended, since they are prone to rotting if the tip is covered; they aren’t strong enough to push through the mulch

Pinching or Pruning & Dividing

remove flower stalks so their energy goes into bulb formation
I don’t think the bolted bulbs need to be harvested, like with onions; just make sure to clip off the flower stalk as low as possible, as soon as possible
10-20% of the leaves can be cut for cooking without decreasing yield of bulbs, when leaves become abundant

Support

no support or staking needed

Winterizing

Container Gardening

planting shallots 6″ apart in deep pots of light soil mix, with 1/4 of the bulb above soil, will give you shallot greens for cooking all winter long, and look great in a sunny spot or in a window sill.
keep them moist, but not wet

Companion Planting

Helpful Companions

Harmful Companions

Companion to..

Pests, Diseases & Problems

Common Pests

gophers
- wire traps
- chicken wire or hardware cloth under the garden bed

Common Diseases

Symptoms

Whole Plant

Leaves

Stem/Trunk

Flowers

Fruit

Roots

Harvesting & Storage

Edible Parts of the Plant

Shallot Greens

10-20% of the leaves can be cut for cooking without decreasing yield of bulbs, when leaves become abundant
some cuisines value shallots mainly for their greens
like scallion greens, but much more delicately flavored

Green Shallots

young shallots that haven’t bulbed out yet
like green garlic, green shallots are extraordinarily delicate and warm-tasting
in temperate areas, plant any sort of shallot in autumn and soon you can have green shallots for cooking

Shallot Bulb

Yield

1 shallot bulb will yield 5-12 bulbs around the original bulb
biointensively:
- minimum: 60 lb./100 sq. ft
- average: 120 lb./100 sq. ft
- excellent: 240+ lb./100 sq. ft

Days to Harvest / Harvest Timing

can be harvested at any time, but for the bulb to be at its prime, wait till the green tops start dying
Shallots are ready when the tops start drying

Harvest Methods

pull up the clump and let them dry in a warm place out of sunlight with good air movement
sun burns them and makes them rot

Storage of harvest

Fresh

mesh bags in a cool dry area
shallots keep up to 8 months, at 35-45 degrees F

Canned

Frozen

Shallots can be frozen whole, in chunks, sliced or minced – no blanching required!