How to grow shallots

Shallots can be started from seed, but are more usually grown from sets (immature bulbs). Each set produces a cluster of new bulbs, whereas a seed produces just one. Sets are the easier option, they are quicker to grow and generally fare better in colder regions. However, they are more expensive and must be planted soon after buying. Choose heat-treated sets to reduce the risk of bolting (premature flowering).
 
Seeds, on the other hand, are usually much cheaper to buy. Seed-raised plants are less likely to bolt, but grow more slowly and need more attention in the early stages.

Shallots come in various shapes, including rounded, teardrop and torpedo (banana) types

Shallot sets are generally available in spring, autumn and winter in garden centres and from online retailers. Seeds are usually available from similar sources all year round. You may also find young plants on sale in garden centres in spring and early summer, ready for planting out – ideal if you only want a few.

Sow shallot seeds in late winter in modular trays or small pots. Sow five or six in each module/pot, then thin out to three or four seedlings. Each seed will only produce one bulb, so sowing several together will produce a clump.  Keep the seedlings in a warm bright place – they can be transplanted outside in spring – see Planting below.

Sow shallot seeds outdoors in mid-spring, once the soil is drier and beginning to warm up. Prepare the sowing site as described above. Sow the seeds thinly, in drills 1.5cm (½in) deep, spacing rows about 25cm (10in) apart. Protect the seedlings from slugs and snails, especially in damp weather. Thin out the seedlings first to 5cm (2in) apart, then later to 10cm (4in). Closer spacing will result in more bulbs and a heavier overall crop, but smaller individual bulbs.

Once well rooted in, shallots don’t generally need watering except in prolonged dry spells in early summer or if growing in a container. Avoid watering once the bulbs have swollen in mid-summer. Watering spring-planted crops after mid-summer can mean they store less successfully. Also try to avoid wetting the foliage if you do water, as this can encourage fungal diseases.

Adding organic matter, such as garden compost, before planting should provide sufficient nutrients for a good crop of shallots. If your soil is poor, you could give an organic-based, nitrogen-rich fertiliser to autumn-planted shallots in late winter. Plants in containers would benefit from occasional feeds with an organic-based general liquid fertiliser, from spring to mid-summer.

For a good crop of shallots, it’s important to keep weeds at bay. Shallot leaves cast little shade, so weeds grow readily and will compete for light, water and nutrients, leading to a smaller crop of shallots. Weed regularly, and if you use a hoe, be careful not to damage the bulbs or foliage.
 

Remove any flower stems as soon as they start to form, otherwise the plant’s energy will go into producing the flower, rather than swelling the bulbs. It also means the bulbs won’t store well, so at harvest time set aside any that tried to flower and use these first.