The fine, spicy aroma of shallots is becoming increasingly popular in the kitchen. If you enjoy gardening, you can plant shallots in spring with little effort and harvest your home-grown onions in autumn.
Shallots are pretty easy to grow yourself
Favorable conditions for planting shallots
The best time to plant shallots is March or April. In zones with a mild climate, you can plant in autumn. The shallot cuttings survive the winter without any problems and yield an earlier harvest. Although this type of onion tolerates cold, it should be planted in a warm and, above all, sunny spot. The warmer it gets during the growing season, the more daughter bulbs the plant produces.
The soil for the shallots is loose, nutrient-rich and humic. A generous dose of compost is used as a starting fertiliser, further fertilization is not necessary.
When inserting the onions, care must be taken to ensure that there is sufficient space in between, since the shallot forms real "onion nests" in the best case.
How do you plant shallots?
For the planting of shallots, so-called "onion sets" are usually required, which are available in the seed trade. Shallots from discount stores cannot be used for planting because these bulbs have been treated with agents that prevent them from germinating.
The soil in the bed is prepared for planting by raking in compost. Then the onion sets are inserted 5 cm deep into the ground at a distance of about 20 cm. About a third of the shallot sticks out of the ground. The individual rows are about 30 cm apart.
Ensure an even water supply during the growing season. If there is too little moisture, the daughter bulbs cannot develop properly. In addition, the weeds should be removed regularly.
What to do when flowers form?
Some onion sets tend to bloom prematurely. This has a negative effect on the formation of daughter bulbs. The best way to get a good harvest is to remove the buds immediately.
If you pay attention to heat-treated seeds when planting, you can rule out unwanted flowering right from the start.
Grow shallots from seed
Of course, shallots can also be sown. The seeds develop slowly, weeds quickly cover the small plants. To avoid this, it is best to sow the onions in a seedbed. When the young onions develop their third leaf after 4 to 6 weeks, they can be planted outdoors. Extreme care must be taken here so as not to injure the young plants. Regular weeding ensures sufficient free space.
The cultivation of shallots from seeds is a labor-intensive matter and not suitable for the hobby gardener.