[cooperman]

have always grown from sets but want to try (in addition to sets) seed this coming year.
Has anyone got any tips?
cheers

[Trillium]

I grew mine this past winter and had great success as well as great variety.

They're dead easy to start, just like onions, and I suggest you start them around Christmas time (late Dec) so they've sized up enough for planting out in spring.

I planted mine in small flats first (labelled) then moved the sprouted ones to larger containers. I used the tall clear salad containers from shops with holes punch in the bottom for drainage. I also topped the soil with perlite which controlled any fungal diseases very well. Once the weather warmed a bit, I put them outside to slowly harden up (get used to sunlight) and eventually left them outside under shelter until planting time.

[cooperman]

thanks Trillium....
very much what I planned to do but its nice to get some feedback....
I will update you as to my success (if any!) 

[JohnB47]

have always grown from sets but want to try (in addition to sets) seed this coming year.
Has anyone got any tips?
cheers

Are you aware that shallots grown from seed will not split (ie produce multiple bulbs) like shallot sets do? I believe that the only type of shallot seed available produces one bulb per seed.

[cooperman]

thanks John and yes I'm aware 1 seed=1 bulb
The reason I want to try seed is that you seem to get just the same varieties offered every year from suppliers..... 

[JohnB47]

thanks John and yes I'm aware 1 seed=1 bulb
The reason I want to try seed is that you seem to get just the same varieties offered every year from suppliers..... 

Yes, good point. I'm going to try growing onions from seed next Spring for that very reason - more variety on offer. But I'll grow some from sets too - belt and braces approach.

Cheers.

[Snoop]

I grew two types of shallot from seed last year. The Prisma shallots split into twos and threes. The Banana shallots stayed as singles.

[JohnB47]

I grew two types of shallot from seed last year. The Prisma shallots split into twos and threes. The Banana shallots stayed as singles.

Well, it just gets more confusing then. This from the Thompson & Morgan website:

"Each seed of Shallot Prisma produces a single attractive shiny reddish-brown skinned, white fleshed round shallot bulb, with a distinct flavour".

Perhaps you looked after yours so well they decided to reward you!

[Snoop]

Perhaps you looked after yours so well they decided to reward you!
[/quote]

I'm not the world's best gardener by any stretch of the imagination!

This year I grew my leftover Banana shallot seeds in two ways:

In a washing up bowl (with drain holes) at the appropriate distances. This worked extremely well and saved the frustration of weeding them.

In the ground at the same distances for onions. The results are very large, but still single, shallots.

Both are very tasty, though the larger ones seem to have drier flesh, perhaps because they needed more watering.

I'm going to use the washing up bowl method again next year, as well as put some in the ground.