AllotMe

GROWING GUIDES

Shallots

Shallots

Vegetables

Easy

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Planting Schedule

Month by month

Sow Indoors
Sow Outdoors
Plant Out
Harvest

Sow Seeds Indoors

Start sets in modules indoors from January for very early planting. Or simply plant sets direct.

Outdoors

Plant sets outdoors from February to March, or in October/November for overwintering varieties. Push sets into the soil so the tip is just showing.

Harvest

Ready when the foliage turns yellow and dies back, usually July. Lift carefully with a fork and dry in the sun for a couple of weeks.

Month by month

Sow Indoors
Sow Outdoors
Plant Out
Harvest

How to Sow

  • Push sets into well-prepared soil so just the tip is showing above the surface
  • Space 15cm apart in rows 30cm apart
  • Choose a sunny, open site with well-drained soil
  • Firm soil around each set — birds like to pull them out
  • Avoid freshly manured soil which causes soft, rot-prone bulbs

Plant Care

  • Water in dry weather but stop watering once bulbs start to ripen (leaves yellowing)
  • Keep beds weed-free as shallots don't compete well
  • Push back any sets that birds or frost lift out of the ground
  • No feeding usually necessary
  • Harvest when the foliage dies back and let them cure in the sun before storing

AllotMe’s Tips

  • Shallots are easier than onions from seed — just push in a set and each one multiplies into a cluster of 6-12 new shallots
  • 'Golden Gourmet' is the most popular and reliable yellow variety; 'Red Sun' for red shallots
  • Properly dried shallots will store for 6+ months in a cool, dry place — much longer than regular onions

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