Propagate by seed, division or separation - Divide and replant at
harvest, or save bulbs over winter to plant in spring. Plants seldom
produce viable seed in temperate regions.
Germination temperature: 45 F to 95 F
Days to emergence: 4 to 5
Seed can be saved 1 year.
- Longer if stored properly in cool, dry location.
Can be direct-seeded, grown from transplants started inside, or from sets -- small bulbs grown from seed the previous season. Choose
a weed-free, well-drained location. Raised beds are ideal. Shallots are
good for intercropping with other garden plants, especially
early-maturing spring greens. Do not plant where other onion family
crops have been grown in the past 3 years.
Direct seed ½ inch
deep, ½ to 1 inch apart, in rows 10 to 18 inches apart, 2 to 4 weeks
before average last frost. This rate will usually produce a single bulb
from each plant. To produce clusters of bulbs, increase spacings to 6
to 8 inches.
Plant sets in fall or early- to mid-spring. Break
bulbs into individual cloves and plant about 1 inch deep so that tops
are just covered, 6 inches apart, rows 12" apart. You can cut large
cloves into smaller pieces as long as head has some root on it. Mulch
to reduce soil heaving and protect plants.
Shallots have shallow
root systems and need consistent moisture and good weed control. (Be
careful. Grass and shallot seedlings can be difficult to distinguish.)
Water weekly if weather is dry, and mulch to retain moisture and
suppress weeds.
