Shallots
Hints and Tips

Preparing Soil For Shallots: Shallots grow best and produce bigger, fatter tastier bulbs if grown in fertile, loose, well-drained soil. Prepare your shallot bed by digging in EB Stones Organic Compost or Soil Booster . Add in Sure Start at the same time to make sure there is enough phosphorus in your prepared shallot bed (another shallot essential). Gophers love shallots as much as they like garlic; so be sure to protect your planting beds with gopher wire or be ready to start trapping!

Planting & Growing Shallots: Shallots can be planted from seedlings or bulbs (AKA sets), rather than cloves like Garlic. Here are the instructions for bulb planting: Separate out the bulbs if necessary and plant each individual bulb root end (the more blunt side) down. Space shallot bulbs 6-8" apart, with 10-12" between rows. Plant just deep enough so that the pointed tip lies level with the soil surface. Unlike garlic which forms a whole bulb from a clove, shallots will form a cluster of 5-12 bulbs around the original bulb. This cluster will spread out a little more than a garlic bulb and therefore requires more space between plants.

Avoid mulching as it may hold in too much moisture which will rot the bulbs. The new shoots emerging from the bulbs are not strong enough to push through most mulch choices, so it's best to avoid it at planting time.

Water: After planting, water your shallots well, and then only water again when the top 1” of soil is dry. Remember, shallots need water to produce fat tasty shallots for you, but they must have good drainage or the bulbs will rot and there will be no production at all!

Feeding: In early spring, feed your shallots with either composted manure ( Double Doody time!) or a well-balanced fertilizer ( EB Stones Tomato and Vegetable Food is a fabulous choice) before the bulbs begin to enlarge. Keep the bulbs well watered and weeded of course. Watch for flowering stalks and remove immediately to help to focus the shallots' energy into bulb formation.

Harvesting Shallots & Storage Harvest the shallots when the tops are withering, turning brown and drying out. Gently pull up each cluster, wipe clean and before storing, cure in a warm but shaded, well-ventilated place. Do not leave your shallots in the sun to cure, because one unexpectedly warm day might cause them to sunburn and spoil. Store your shallots in mesh bags (like onion sacks) in a cool dry area. They will last a LONG time in storage (up to 8 months!!) as long as your storage location is dry, and relatively cool - from 35-45°F is best

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