Do shallots benefit from a bit of over-crowding?

[bazzaboy]

I thought this year (well, next year) I'd try shallots from seed (it's a nice thought I'm already a bit late, itchy fingers...). I've four sorts to try, Chicken Leg of Poitou, Pale de Niort and Amposta (from a seed swap) and Conserver F1 (from Exhibition Seeds). It's from Exhibition Seeds' "tips" and a few other sites that I've picked up this notion that shallots like to be quite crowded - "Grow at no more than 3"-4" spacing" say the tips, and another site suggested the shallot would be coarse if given too much space... Is this pretty standard, I haven't heard of it before, but any comments or tips appreciated. Thanks... bb.
ps - with a bit of luck sometime soon I should have an allotment again (well a grassy rabbit patch actually, but the dream's still alive....)

[Snadger]

Haven't grown shallots from seed but usually plant my sets 6 inches apart.

I believe shallots grown from seed only grow a single shallot similar to an onion so 4 inches would be adequate if you wanted small ones but I would personally go for 6 inches apart for reasonable sized plants.

Pigletwillie has grown them from seed I know (think he still does?) so should be along soon with a more informative answer!

[zazen999]

I go 6 inches for a shallot from a set, and 4 inches for one grown from seed, but they can be grown closer, they just push themselves apart...I grow quite a few onion types by transplanting 3 or more seedlings together and harvest the biggest one leaving the others to grow on - with the 'chicken leg' types [the long shallots and onions] they can just be left until they are all ready to pick or harvest - saves space that way as well.

[chriscross1966]

I can back up zazen on the technique on the longer bulbs... I grew Long Red Florence that way this year and they did a lot better than the round onions I grow the same way for pickling, I assume the long shallots would be similar.

chrisc

[smallblueplanet]

...I've four sorts to try, Chicken Leg of Poitou, Pale de Niort and Amposta (from a seed swap) and Conserver F1 (from Exhibition Seeds)...

Hey Bazza, think you'll find that Pale de Niort & Amposta are onions, not shallots. Not convinced about crowding your 'alliums' either, aren't they more likely to get mould/rust - ours suffered a bit this year from being planted out 'multi-sown'. Gonna go back to doing them all individually spaced this year.

[sarraceniac]

Haven't grown shallots from seed but usually plant my sets 6 inches apart.

I believe shallots grown from seed only grow a single shallot similar to an onion so 4 inches would be adequate if you wanted small ones but I would personally go for 6 inches apart for reasonable sized plants.

Pigletwillie has grown them from seed I know (think he still does?) so should be along soon with a more informative answer!

No sign of the Piglet Snadge but I grow all my onions from seed, including shallots. Can't fault your logic except if you are growing for pickling then you don't want big bulbs so 4 inches is more than enough. I know that is implicit in your post but just to stress it.

[realfood]

This is taken from my website, where you will find further information and photos. I have grown shallots from seed for 2 years now and will be growing them again this year.

Shallots grown from seed

The first Dutch hybrid shallot seed was released as recently as 1992 and has revolutionised the commercial growing of Shallots, and will do the same for amateur growers. It allows the growing of shallots free from imported viral, fungal and bacterial infections. They are also unlikely to go to seed before harvesting time, the bane of growing from sets. They are more likely to only produce 1 bulb without splitting, especially if they are sown very close together, thus improving the keeping quality of the shallots. It is therefore surprising that this method of growing Shallots is not better known. My own results growing from seed, have been very good, with good size, shape and keeping quality.



If starting from shallot seed, sow 3 or 4 seeds in each module of a tray, from January onwards in gentle heat. Move to a cool greenhouse or cold frame once germinated, and grow on till April. Plant out each module at 15 cm apart with the rows at 30 cm apart. No need to separate the seedlings as they will just push each other apart as they grow.



Alternatively, in March and April, sow the seeds every 2 cm, in rows 30 cm apart in well prepared soil. Yes, it is close but you read that spacing correctly! A close spacing is advised to provide a good crop of bulbs resistant to splitting into 2 bulbs. A single bulb stores better.

[smallblueplanet]

Well we've grown 'chicken leg shallot' from seed for two years. These are not a hybrid seed - I presume you mean f1's? They produce tasty single bulb shallots when grown the same way as you would grow onions from seed - none of them have split into 2 bulbs, but then that wouldn't be a problem. We have just finished off a few we kept for xmas and they were not soft or shooting. Don't know how long they'd have kept for because we've now ate them all!

Oh if we do get small single shallots then we pickle them - very tasty! I imagine they could be saved and replanted, but perhaps wouldn't keep so long without 'heat' treatment?

[realfood]

I find that if a shallot has started to split into 2 but still part of one bulb, that it never keeps as well and has to be used up as early as possible. I hope to have some single shallots left to eat in the Spring. Maybe some small ones left to replant next year.

[bazzaboy]

What a brilliant forum this is, many thanks to everyone who's responded, I'm just about to spend a happy afternoon doing the first sowings of onions and shallots (doubling up on the genuine shallots, thanks Manda) so i can enter the New Year with all the burdensome responsibilities of nurturing seedlings argh... Wouldn't want it any other way, Happy New Year! bb.