[Pony Girl]

When's the best time to plant out shallot sets?

I'd like to grow some for pickling. Last week I raked in some chicken manure pellets into the bed but I understand that they won't like this as it will make them prone to bolting. Whoops! Is that right?

[seedman]

no you should be ok i leave mine for a couple of weeks just to let brake down a bit onions and shallots like a bit of nitrogen ,Dried blood is also good for them if you cant get it if not fish/blood/bone meal will be fine happy growing

[mumofstig]

Dried blood is a Nitrogen feed as well

advice here

Onions and leeks are given high nitrogen fertiliser during the growing stage, nitro chalk, or nitrate of soda, and in the case of onions, one with a higher potash content later on to ripen the bulbs.

from the NVS http://www.nvsuk.org.uk/growing_show_vegetables_1/fertilisers.php

So the chicken pellets were fine for the start, change to something like Blood Fish & Bone for the potash (the K value on fertiliser packets) later on

[Pony Girl]

Thanks both! Unfortunately my two local garden centres have now sold out of shallots!!

Don't know whether to order online or wait til they come in after Christmas. Is there any benefit planting out in December or would Jan be ok?

I want to grow them for pickling. What would the best variety be for that?

[mumofstig]

You can plant up til march, they may just ripen a little later, thats all ...so no need to panic 

[seedman]

i think you can pickle any you could try red sun or golden gourmet both for sale on ebay 

[crh75]

I think onions are better for pickling. Shallots tend to go a bit soft after a few months pickling, I prefer my pickled onions to stay crisp.

[seedman]

Bought some today called gourmet may have a longer name garden center said the french chefs use them, may have just been sale talk  plant them sunday

[Pony Girl]

Thanks everyone. I think I'd like to try golden gourmet shallots but they've sold out from all my local garden centres. They are getting some more in after Christmas, so hopefully it'll be okay to plant them then.

[realfood]

Gardening Which has just published the results of their trials of shallot sets. Generally they got better results with the Spring sown ones with much heavier crops and less trouble with bolting.
For the Autumn planted ones, the best results were from Jermor.

For Spring sown the best were Golden Gourmet, Longor, Micor, Red Sun and Topper.

For seed sown, the best was Banana, followed by Ambition and Prisma.

[Pony Girl]

Oh goodie! I shall try Gourmet in spring! When's the best time to plant - March? Thank you. :-)

[bazh]

Oh goodie! I shall try Gourmet in spring! When's the best time to plant - March? Thank you. :-)

Up to you really when to plant them they can go in as late as April, I like to get them in end of Feb/ start of March.

[Jonajo]

I have put 3 rows in already and will put in a further 3 or 4 around Feb time.

Golden Gourmet are wonderful for pickling - actually, the best IMO, as they keep their crunch well and taste great. And Longor for cooking with are hard to beat.

[Pony Girl]

Brilliant! Can't wait to get started. Next year will be my first proper year on the plot.

[seedman]

Good luck with your new plot happy growing