[Madame Cholet]

They are turning brown before the onions shall I lift them while the weather is dry ?

[Christine]

If they look ready to use why not? 

[JayG]

You don't have to wait until the leaves have completely died off before harvesting, but if they still have some green and are standing up they will still be contributing a little bit to bulb formation.

Usual practice is to use a garden fork to loosen them slightly in the ground so they partly ripen and dry in situ, although to be honest I don't think there's a particular advantage to doing that, especially if they get rained on.

Most important job for successful storage is thorough drying, because once rot start in the soft necks it spreads rapidly.

Unless I'm guaranteed days of warm dry weather I put mine in stacked plastic boxes (the perforated type garden centres often give away free) and for a couple of days blow cold air from a fan heater through them for a few hours in the greenhouse to speed things up.

OK, a bit OTT for many, but I do actually still have a few shallots left over from last year in usable condition. 

[Salmo]

Give them a wriggle. If they are loose and come away they are ready to lift. I have just put a fork under mine. They will sit like that for some time and not harm if it comes showers. The next stage is to lift them to dry. A wire rack to keep the air under them is good. When you think they are dry then dry them some more. Store them too soon and they will go mouldy.

[Sue33]

mmm I'm thinking of lifting mine this week, they certainly look ready, the garlic all came up at the weekend 

[surbie100]

Took mine up yesterday - the tops were still a bit green but they were big enough and I need the space. Just need to separate out the ones that flowered so I use them first!

[sunshineband]

On my plot shallots are usually up by now, having dried off, and something else is in their place. Last year it was French beans.

But this year they are still upright and green, with just a tinge of yellow on some of the leaf tips.

Just shows every year is different --- they will be staying in the ground until the leaves have died right back, as then they will be ripened off enough to last for many months.  Like JayG, I also then give them drying time inside but not with air being blown around them, just in the kitchen for a couple of weeks.

So, if your are turning brown and dry already, MC, then take them up 

[Annen]

Mine are still miles off being ready, it seems only like a couple of weeks that they were blades of grass!

[Madame Cholet]

They are home on the patio in a tray drying need the room just sowed more beetroot and swede in modules.

[AnneB]

Yes, I have taken most of mine out, needed the space!