[LilacSandy]

After just buying 8 bulbs for £2.99, admittedly they are huge, I wondered if I could do the same as I do with my Garlic and replant some of the bulbs next year to increase my stock.

I found an  old thread here that tells me that I can keep some to replant the next year but that it is not advised.  My plot had not been used for 15 years when I took it over, and there is no sign of disease.  These shallots are from a reputable dealer so I would not anticipate them having any white rot, and I never accept any produce to plant from other plot holders.  Do you think they will give me any problems, and what about the garlic as I grow at least 100 bulbs from my own stock.

[JayG]

Not sure which thread you are referring to, but as far as I know saving your own healthy garlic and shallots for replanting the following year is actually the best way of guaranteeing you won't be importing someone else's disease problem.

8 huge shallot bulbs for £2.99 ! 

What variety are they? Shallots don't tend to be huge, especially those intended for planting. 

[LilacSandy]

They are called Jermor JayG, I was choosing my Autumn sown onions at the garden centre and picked these up by mistake and as the weight of them was the same as the packs of 50 onions so I did not notice, so you can tell how big they are.   I always start my garlic, onions and shallots in plastic tea cups I have saved for me at work, and these fill half the cup and nearly touch the side.

[JayG]

What was the weight of them LS?

According to THIS website (one of the cheaper ones - some are astonishing!  ) there should be around 30 shallots per 500g, which I would have thought was around the average for most varieties of shallot.

Edit: Can't get the link to display Jermor - they are there in the shallot section though.

[LilacSandy]

Unfortunately I have planted them all and did not think to weigh them, however I pulled one up and this is it next to one of my normal sized garlic bulbs.

[sunshineband]

Gosh, they are huge, Sandy 

It is usually the smallest shallots of the crop that you replant, so if those are the smallest, you can expect some real whoppers next year

PS It is the opposite with garlic -- you plant on the largest cloves

[DD.]

Jermor are the elongated "banana" type shallot, so the original bulbs are probably larger than the "normal" shallot.

[JayG]

Unfortunately I have planted them all and did not think to weigh them, however I pulled one up and this is it next to one of my normal sized garlic bulbs.

They certainly seem to have got the gene for "bigness" - let's hope they've also got the one for "splitting into 8!" 

(Hope the one you pulled out doesn't feel victimised - at least it's not rooted yet!)

[wrinkly1]

in answer to your original question.  i/ve kept and replanted the same bulbs for the last 3 years and had no problems. and cheaper.   cheers wrinkly1

[diospyros]

On the same sort of topic, I read in a book "never accept your neighbour's unwanted raspberry canes when he is tidying his row up.  Always buy disease free certified stock.  But after that you can just use your own suckers."  It's not logical.  Supposing your neighbour had bought disease free stock too?  And read the same book?

[Yorkie]

It's perfectly logical.

If you already have disease on your canes, then simply dividing them in your own garden is not creating further infection.  By passing them onto your neighbour, you're spreading the infection into another plot / garden.

[Gardener and Rabbit]

I've always replanted shallots from my own stock, and not had any problems so far. In fact I've kept the original variety I bought, a Dutch yellow I think, going for about 20 years now this way.

[LilacSandy]

Thanks guys,  I am looking forward to a large stock in a couple of years.  A pity that onions do not do the same as that is one of my biggest outlay as with three families to feed I need loads,  using my own garlic saves me quite a lot each year, as I plant 60 to 70 cloves, and as I only replant the biggest and plumpest my stock is getting better each year.

I had some raspberry canes from a neighbour but put them in my garden first to quarantine them, they were beautiful and I am going to transplant some suckers to the plot in the spring.  Touch wood I do not have any sign of disease on the plot, I put this down to the plot being covered with brambles and not touched for 15 years so most would have died out.

[compostqueen]

I love Jermor shallots Sandy, they are great!  I grow Longor too

I grew Golden Gourmet last year and I have some left and was amazed at how rock hard they are, some big uns too.  Mine will all get eaten though  and I buy new uns each year.

Good luck with them Sandy

[georget]

Sunshine band.I wasnt aware that you keep the smallest shallots for next year,Why is that ?ive always kept big ones thinking they would make better shallots each year.Am i wasting good shallots doing this