Shallots really are the smug older cousin of onions — richer flavor, prettier clusters, and they store like a dream. Let’s turn that video description into a complete, step-by-step guide you could follow without even pressing play Foundations Of Seed Germination.
Why Grow Shallots Instead of Just Onions?
Shallots are:
- More flavorful: sweet, complex, and gentle – brilliant raw in dressings and salsas, or melted down in sauces.
- Space efficient: one planted bulb splits into a cluster of new bulbs.
- Great keepers: cured properly, many shallot varieties store for months.
You grow them almost exactly like onions, but with a few key tweaks in timing and spacing.
When to Plant Shallots
You can grow shallots two main ways:
- From sets (bulbs) – the easiest and most common
- From seed – slower, but often cheaper with more variety
Best planting window (Northern Hemisphere)
- Fall / early winter:
- In mild climates, plant sets from late autumn through early winter. They root over winter and bulk up in spring.
- Late winter / early spring:
- In colder climates where the ground freezes solid, plant as soon as the soil is workable (not sopping wet or frozen).
Rule of thumb:
- Ground should be cool but not waterlogged Euphorbia trigona African Milk Tree.
- If you can dig and crumble the soil without it sticking into heavy clods, you’re good.
Option 1: Planting Shallot Sets in the Ground
This is the method most gardeners use – simple and reliable.
Step 1 – Choose good sets
Look for:
- Firm bulbs, no soft spots
- No mold, rot, or green shoots already a mile long
- Named varieties suited to your climate, if possible
Avoid very tiny, dried-out bulbs or huge, woody ones.
Step 2 – Prep the bed
Shallots love:
- Full sun
- Well-drained soil – they hate sitting in winter wet
- Soil enriched with compost or well-rotted manure
Do this:
- Remove weeds and stones.
- Spread 1–2 inches of compost over the bed.
- Lightly fork or rake it into the top few inches.
- If your soil is heavy clay, consider using raised beds or ridges for better drainage.
Step 3 – Planting depth and spacing
- Plant each bulb pointy end up.
- Depth: about 1 inch (2–3 cm) of soil over the top. You want the neck just at or slightly below the surface.
- Spacing in row: 6 inches (15 cm) between bulbs.
- Rows: 12 inches (30 cm) apart.
Each set will divide into a clump of 4–10 new shallots, so give them elbow room.
Step 4 – Watering and mulching
- Water well after planting to settle soil around the bulbs.
- In cold areas, a light mulch (straw, leaf mold, or compost) helps buffer temperature swings and suppress weeds.
- Don’t smother the tops – they need light once they sprout.
Option 2: Growing Shallots in Pots
Perfect Senecio herreanus String of Tears if you’re short on space or have soggy soil.
Container basics
- Choose a deep pot or trough at least 8–10 inches (20–25 cm) deep.
- Use a free-draining compost (multi-purpose + extra perlite/grit).
- Ensure good drainage holes at the bottom.
Planting in containers
- Space bulbs about 4–5 inches (10–12 cm) apart in all directions.
- Bury them so the tips are just below the surface.
- Water well, then keep the compost just moist, not soggy.
Container shallots dry out faster in spring/summer than those in the ground, so check them more often once growth takes off.
Option 3: Starting Shallots From Seed
A little more advanced, but it gives you:
- Access to more varieties
- Often cheaper per plant
- Very uniform bulbs if grown well
When to sow
- Indoors:
- Sow 8–10 weeks before you can plant out (late winter for spring planting).
- Outdoors:
- In mild climates, you can direct sow in early spring once the soil starts to warm.
How to sow indoors
- Fill module trays or small pots with seed-starting mix.
- Sow seeds about ¼ inch (0.5–1 cm) deep.
- Keep the mix evenly moist and place in bright light.
- Ideal germination temperature is usually around 60–70°F (15–21°C).
- Once seedlings Senecio rowleyanus String of Pearls are a few inches tall, you can either trim tops lightly to keep them sturdy or prick out into bigger cells.
Plant them out when:
- They are thick like a pencil, and
- The soil outside is workable and frost risk is low for your area.
Space seedlings similarly to sets: about 6 inches apart.
Caring for Shallots Through the Season
Watering
- Keep soil consistently moist, especially in spring and early summer while bulbs are forming.
- Avoid waterlogging – that invites rot.
- Mulch helps conserve moisture and suppress weeds.
Feeding
Shallots appreciate fertile soil but don’t need heavy feeding if you used compost at planting.
You can:
- Add a light, balanced organic fertilizer at planting.
- Side-dress with compost or a mild nitrogen source in early spring when growth restarts.
Avoid overdoing nitrogen – it makes lush leaves at the expense of bulbs.
Weeding
Shallots hate competition.
- Hand-weed regularly.
- Shallow hoeing is fine, but don’t chop too close to the bulbs – their roots are shallow.
Pests and problems
Common issues:
- Onion/shallot fly – maggots in bulbs; use crop covers or rotate beds if it’s a problem in your area.
- Slugs & snails – nibble young shoots; especially in damp winters/springs.
- Fungal rots – more likely in very wet, poorly drained soil.
Good drainage, rotation, and Sedum morganianum Buritto keeping beds weed-free go a long way.
How and When to Harvest Shallots
Shallots planted in fall/early winter are typically ready by early to mid-summer.
Signs they’re ready:
- Leaves start to yellow and flop over.
- Clumps of bulbs are visible at the soil surface, nicely sized.
Harvesting
- Choose a dry day if you can.
- Use a fork to gently loosen soil under each clump.
- Lift the entire clump, shake off loose soil.
- Don’t yank by the tops – you can damage the necks.
At this stage, the bulbs are usable right away, but for long storage, you’ll want to cure them.
Curing and Storing Shallots
Curing
- Lay shallot clusters out in a warm, dry, airy spot – a greenhouse bench, porch, or under cover outdoors.
- Keep them out of direct, scorching sun but with plenty of airflow.
- Let them dry for 2–3 weeks, until outer skins are papery and necks are fully dry.
You can then gently separate the clusters into individual bulbs.
Storing
- Trim tops to about 1 inch (2–3 cm) above the bulb.
- Store in mesh bags, crates, or shallow boxes in a cool, dry, well-ventilated place.
- Check occasionally and remove any that soften or show mold.
Well-cured shallots, especially storage varieties Edithcolea grandis Persian Carpet Flower, can last many months, giving you that sweet, complex flavor deep into winter.
Quick Shallot Cheat Sheet
Planting:
- From sets:
- Fall/early winter (mild) or early spring (cold areas)
- 1″ deep, 6″ apart, rows 12″ apart
- From seed:
- Start indoors late winter; plant out spring
Care:
- Full sun, fertile, well-drained soil
- Keep evenly moist, especially in spring
- Weed often; light mulch helps
Harvest:
- Early–mid summer, when tops yellow and flop
- Lift gently, cure 2–3 weeks, store cool and dry
Grow them once, and you’ll see why so many cooks and gardeners quietly prefer shallots to onions. One little clump in autumn turns into a basketful by summer – and every bulb is a tiny flavor bomb just waiting for the pan.