How Soon to Plant Shallots?

About Shallots

• Shallots grow in bulb sections like garlic, with these sections attached at the base of the bulb and wrapped in a loose papery skin. The flavor of shallot is mild, similar to mild sweet onion blended with a taste of garlic. They are often used as green onions, pulled fresh after about 60 days, but they can also be cured as mature bulbs and used like garlic or small dry onions. Because shallots seldom form seeds, individual sections of mature bulbs are planted to start new shallot plants.

Planting Shallots

• Shallots do best in rich, loose soil. Prepare planting beds as early in spring as the ground can be worked, incorporating several inches of compost, well-rotted manure or other organic matter. Hoe shallow planting trenches in rows 12 to 18 inches apart, or just inches apart for double rows. Separate bulbs into sections or sets, and plant sets 1 or 2 inches deep and 4 to 6 inches apart in the row, with tips pointing up. When covered with fine garden soil each tip should be just below the soil's surface or barely visible.

Growing Shallots

• While preparing planting beds, incorporate 3 lbs. of general purpose 10-10-10 fertilizer per 100 square feet of planting area. Twice during the growing season, side dress plants with 2 lbs. of 10-10-10 fertilizer for every 100 square feet. Keep shallots evenly moist but not wet. Mulch with dried pine needles or pesticide-free lawn clippings, to keep weeds from competing for moisture and soil nutrients. Some shallot bulbs will develop on top of the ground; do not cover these with soil.

Harvesting Shallots

• Pull shallots in the green-onion stage when plants are about 1/4 inch across, usually 6 to 8 weeks after planting. They can be refrigerated or stored in a cold, moist place for short periods. Carefully dig mature, dry bulbs after their tops die back, usually summer or fall, depending on when you planted. Cure clean bulbs in a warm, dry place for a week or so and then store them in mesh bags kept in a cool, dry place. Replant the smaller bulbs or use them first since they do not keep well.