In Pittsburgh, I always thought the best time to grow shallots was in the spring. I noticed when I grew the Dutch red shallot bulbs in the spring, they did not multiply as much as the yellow ones. Also, I noticed that the red shallots were available from some seed and garlic vendors in late summer and early fall so I decided to experiment last year. I started the red shallots in the fall and the yellow shallots in the spring.
While the above experiment was a big success, I decided to sow/plant my Dutch red and yellow shallot bulbs in the fall with the garlic cloves – wish me luck with this experiment! In the fall, I am looking for the temperatures to be round 50℉ or cooler during the day which is usually later in October or early November in Pittsburgh, PA.
Now if you want more variety, then grow shallots from seed. See the Indoor Sowing Tips below.
Outdoor Sowing Tips for Shallot Bulbs:
Keep the shallot bulbs in a cool and dark spot until you are ready to sow.
Sow the shallot bulbs as soon as the soil can be worked in early spring or April or in fall in October or early November.
If needed, loosen the soil. I do this for any root or bulb veggie.
If you are planting the shallot bulbs in the fall, plant them 3 inches deep so that the bottom of the bulb is three inches below the soil line. In the spring, plant the shallot bulb so the tip is right above the soil line. Â
Plant them between 6 inches apart or 4 shallot bulbs per square foot.
I typically sprinkle some bone meal or used coffee grounds. These items will breakdown over the winter. Bone meal or used coffee grounds will add phosphorus and calcium which is good for bulbs and root vegetables. You definitely do not want to give them excess nitrogen. Check out my post on soil additives for bulbs.
Water the planting area and cover with a couple of inches of leaves or leaf mold!
Protect the area with a hoop and some netting. I want to deter the squirrels from digging up the shallot bulbs.
Label what you planted. I like to use popsicle / wood craft sticks.
Indoor Sowing Tips for Shallot Seeds:
Sow shallot seeds in mid to late winter indoors under T5 grow lights.Â
Shallot seeds like temperatures between 50 and 85°F in order to germinate.Â
Sow a bunch of shallot seeds 1/2 inch deep together in a 4 inch pot just like onions.Â
If the green stem gets taller than 5 inches, then trim them.Â
Carefully separate the seedlings and transplant them in late spring.Â
Since shallots grown from seed don’t multiply as much as shallot bulbs. you can plant 9 to16 shallot seedlings per square foot or 4 to 3 inches apart depending on the variety.
In the spring, I would be ready for temperature swings by using a hoop tunnel and some fabric.
Initially when you plant shallot seedlings, you can use leaves as mulch.
Growing Tips:
In the spring, I would remove the leaves so the shallot bulbs don’t get overly wet and rot.
Once the shallot seedlings are established, remove the leaves.
In the summer, provide consistent moisture with a drip system.
