Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat

Growing => Grow Your Own => Topic started by: lacewing on February 09, 2012, 08:05

Title: Shallots
Post by: lacewing on February 09, 2012, 08:05

My shallot seeds have germinated in the greenhouse, temp. 60-65. Should I now move them out into the cold frame?

Title: Re: Shallots
Post by: DD. on February 09, 2012, 08:12

Depends how cold the cold frame gets, provided you can keep it a few degrees above freezing, they should be OK.

They certainly don't need the higher temperature now - that could lead to bolting.

Title: Re: Shallots
Post by: lacewing on February 09, 2012, 09:45

Thanks DD.  I will  move them out, the cold frame is against the garage wall and the freezer motor inside the wall helps to  keeps it frost free.

Title: Re: Shallots
Post by: DD. on February 09, 2012, 09:49

Sounds ideal!

Title: Re: Shallots
Post by: becs on February 09, 2012, 19:08

I have a silly question about shallots!! (sorry!)

I looked at the shallot sets in the nursery when I was choosing my onions and I noticed that the sets are about the same size as the shallots you buy from the supermarket.

How do the big sets grow into the small shallots???
(see.. I told you it was silly!)

Title: Re: Shallots
Post by: gavinjconway on February 09, 2012, 19:35

They multiply and make lots of babies that grow into more shallots..

Title: Re: Shallots
Post by: JayG on February 09, 2012, 19:36

Quote from: becs on February 09, 2012, 19:08

I have a silly question about shallots!! (sorry!)

I looked at the shallot sets in the nursery when I was choosing my onions and I noticed that the sets are about the same size as the shallots you buy from the supermarket.

How do the big sets grow into the small shallots???
(see.. I told you it was silly!)

Don't put yourself down (none of us were born with a detailed knowledge of anything.  :))

Onion sets are small but each one grows into 1 full-sized onion with any luck, whereas each shallot bulb will split into between 4-8 individual bulbs of the same size (magic!  :happy:)

Title: Re: Shallots
Post by: becs on February 12, 2012, 17:21

Ohhhh!

I see! might plant some then!!

Thanks xx

Title: Re: Shallots
Post by: BabbyAnn on February 12, 2012, 17:50

Quote from: becs on February 12, 2012, 17:21

Ohhhh!

I see! might plant some then!!

Thanks xx

the good thing about shallots especially the round ones like Golden Gourmet or Red Sun is that they store really well after lifting, much longer than onions which is very handy  :)  The banana type shallots don't tend to store as long so I use those up first.  And you don't have to keep buying replacement bulbs every year - I often re-plant some of the ones I have grown myself.

Title: Re: Shallots
Post by: arugula on February 12, 2012, 18:13

Quote from: becs on February 09, 2012, 19:08

I have a silly question about shallots!! (sorry!)

I looked at the shallot sets in the nursery when I was choosing my onions and I noticed that the sets are about the same size as the shallots you buy from the supermarket.

How do the big sets grow into the small shallots???
(see.. I told you it was silly!)

I asked a question some months ago titled "allium bulb division" about, err, allium bulb sizes... really. You could look it up.