Crop Focus: Shallots
If you want to grow an oniony thing but can’t be bothered with regular onions, shallots are the magical answer. And, like onions, they don’t seem to be affected by garlic rust.
Plant shallots from winter to early spring.
You plant shallot bulbs in a similar way to garlic: simply press the base of the shallot about 1/3 of its depth into your prepared soil. (They are minimal feeders so don’t need too much added to the soil, although a light dressing of compost is always of benefit.) Spacing about 20 cm, depending on the shallot variety you are growing.
Within 2-3 days the shallots will magically shoot out strong white roots from the base and anchor themselves into the soil.
Being an onion, they are a crop you need patience with- usually ready to harvest in January! But then what a bounty!
Each shallot multiplies itself and you can get as many as a dozen shallots from one mother!! A great crop to share with friends. And of course, you will be able to save your next season’s “seed” shallots for planting the following winter.
Like all members of the onion family, shallots like evenly damp soil, so mulch them well to trap the spring moisture in the soil. Added benefit: no weeds!! And the mulch will feed the soil and encourage worms, which happen to love onion roots.
Peeling the small ones can be a bit painful, so the larger red ones are my fav.
