Shallot: Sowing, planting and harvest calendar
How do you plant shallots?
Plant shallots in fertile, well drained soil in a sunny position. Choose firm, healthy sets suited to your climate. Planting usually takes place in spring; autumn suits some varieties where the soil does not stay cold and waterlogged. Check the supplier’s instructions instead of assuming that every shallot needs the same planting season.
If your sets are joined in a cluster, separate the whole individual bulbs without cutting them into cloves. Prepare a weed free surface and loosen the soil, incorporating well rotted compost beforehand if needed. Avoid fresh manure. In heavy, wet ground, choose a raised area or a large container with drainage holes.
Place each bulb with its base down and its tip just showing above the surface. Burying every shallot set five centimetres deep is too deep. Leave about 15 to 20 cm between bulbs and 25 to 30 cm between rows, allowing for the variety’s size. Firm the soil gently and water to settle it around the bulbs without soaking it.
For young plants raised from seed under cover, gradually harden them off before planting outdoors. Keep small groups together and set them at a similar depth to their original pot, without burying their necks. Afterwards, check that the bulbs remain in position and monitor soil moisture while roots establish.
How to care for this plant
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Weed
Remove weeds around young bulbs, especially if they shade them. Close to the plants, weed by hand to protect the roots and avoid damaging the bulbs.
How do you harvest shallots?
Harvest shallots when the bulbs have developed and the foliage turns yellow and falls over naturally. Timing depends on the variety, planting date and climate. Do not assume that every crop takes six to eight months or is ready during the same June to August window. Avoid bending or cutting green leaves to force maturity.
Choose a dry spell if possible. Slide a hand fork beneath each cluster and lift it gently, then separate the whole bulbs. Do not pull on the stems or knock the bulbs together, as damage reduces storage quality. You can use fresh shallots straight away; bulbs intended for storage need to dry completely first.
Spread them in a single layer on a wire rack or slatted tray so air also circulates underneath. Dry them outdoors when the weather is suitable, or in a covered, well ventilated place during rain. The time needed varies with conditions. The skins, necks and foliage should all be dry before you put the bulbs away.
Only then trim dry leaves if necessary. Keep sound, firm, undamaged bulbs in mesh bags or ventilated trays in a cool, dry place. Discard rotten bulbs; use damaged but still edible bulbs and those that flowered promptly. Check your stored crop regularly and avoid sealed containers that trap moisture.
Shallot
- Type : Vegetables
- Subtype : Bulb vegetables
- Botanical Family : Liliaceae
Characteristics
- Lifecycle : Annual
- Exposure : Full Sun
- Frost Hardiness : Frost Resistant
- Cultivation Difficulty : Medium
- Mature height : 30 cm
Sowing & Planting
- Greenhouse Growing : Not Required
- Plant Spacing : 10 cm
- Row Spacing : 30 cm
Maintenance
- Maintenance : Moderate
- Water Requirements : High
Other characteristics
- Soil Type : Humus-rich
- Soil pH Preference : Neutral
- Pest Sensitivity : Moderate
- Disease Sensitivity : Moderate
- Weed Sensitivity : Moderate
- Pollination : Insect-pollinated
- Propagation : Division