How to grow shallots

The onion’s cuter little sister, this mild-mannered allium adds nuanced flavour and a subtle sweetness to all sorts of dishes.

SOW AND GROW

When to sow: February to May. When to transplant: May to August. Position: Full sun. Harvest: 26 weeks. Good for pots, good for beginners.

GET STARTED

Like garlic, shallots are traditionally planted on the shortest day and harvested on the longest, although they will grow if planted any time before spring.

In cold regions, you can also plant bulbs in spring for a mid to late summer harvest.

STEP-BY-STEP

Separate multiple bulbs and plant each individual bulb, root end down, into the soil, leaving at least one-third of the bulb poking out (they grow on the top of the soil like onions). Space 15cm apart, in rows 30cm apart. Sowing shallots from seed? Sow at a depth of 1cm in trays under cover, in 15-20°C. Seed can also be sown direct into the garden between March and May. Germination takes about 14 days. Seedlings can be planted outdoors from late autumn until well past the shortest day of the year.

GROWING TIPS

Shallots like a fertile, well-drained soil in full sun that has been enriched with compost and aged manure.

Keep their bed as weed-free as possible, and remove any flowerheads. Water regularly in spring and summer. For big bulbs, feed regularly with a fertiliser that is high in nitrogen. However, closer to harvest, lay off nitrogen fertiliser to ensure bulbs will store.

Shallots are ready to lift when the leaves have yellowed and begun to die back. Dig the bulbs out carefully, being careful of the skins.

Leave them to dry for up to a week, then separate the bulbs and store them in a cool, dry place.

With good air flow and low relative humidity, shallots can be stored for eight to 10 months. Consider keeping the best bulbs for replanting next year.

STANDOUT VARIETIES

‘Ambition’ is a hybrid with great storing ability as is heirloom ‘Zebrune’. In its native France, this pink banana shallot is known as cuisse de poulet du poitou, meaning leg of the chicken.

TROUBLESHOOTING

Shallot bulbs will rot in soil that is waterlogged; grow them in a pot or raised bed if this is the case.

Use your hose to remove thrips or aphids. Practise crop rotation and do not grow shallots where you have recently grown onions, garlic or leeks.