How To Grow Shallots from Sets

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How to Grow Shallots from Sets

This is how I grow shallots on my allotment. I make no claims that is the best method or that it will produce the largest crops, but it has worked well for me.

Planting

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Dec

Plant in pots

Plant Out

Harvest

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How to Save Your Own Shallots for Sets

Step 1 Pass fresh multipurpose compost through a fine riddle to remove any lumps - I use this cheap plastic crate.	Step 2 Fill pots with the finely sieved compost and firm it down.	Step 3 Check through your bulbs, also known as sets.
Step 4 Discard any which are soft or look diseased.	Step 5 Having selected a nice firm bulb, remove any loose skins.	Step 6 Place the bulb in firm contact with the compost - do not bury more than a few millimetres.
Step 7 Continue until you have planted all your sets.	Step 8 Water well and add a label.
Note: Shallots can be planted directly into the soil. However, I have found that the birds often scatter the bulbs whilst looking for worms, before the plants have had chance to root.

Planting Out

Step 1 Set out a straight line where you want the plants using a piece of wood or a string-line.		Step 2 Using a bulb-planter, create a suitable hole for each plant. Add a small amount of fertiliser to the bottom of the hole and mix it into the soil. I plant in groups of 4 to accommodate Pop-bottle Plant Protectors, leaving at least 15cm /6" between groups.		Step 3 Remove each plant from its pot, place it into the hole so the top of the compost is level with the soil. Fill around the plant with soil and firm in.
Step 4 Continue the process until you have completed the row.		Step 5 If desired, set Plant Protectors in place to prevent birds, rodents and wind damage.		Step 6 Water the plants thoroughly to ensure there are no air pockets in the soil.

Maintenance

Step 1 Water in dry weather.		Step 2 Keep the area free of weeds to eliminate any competition for water and nutrients.		Step 3 Check regularly for signs of pests and disease, and take appropriate action.
Step 4 Remove the pop bottles when the seedlings are well established - it gets difficult to do this if the plants have grown taller than the bottles.

Harvesting

		COMING SOON

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