Growing your own vegetables means that you can harvest gourmet quality vegetables, fresh from your garden.
Shallots are considered gourmet because of their depth of flavour and this lends itself well in cooking.
Top restaurants and chefs use shallots in their dishes. A shallot has a milder onion flavour with a hint of garlic.
Are Shallots easy to grow?
The best thing about Shallots and the whole onion family of onions, garlic and leeks, is that they are all easy to grow.
Reasons to Grow Shallots
- Easy to grow – Plant outside in November to April.
- Very little maintenance needed, pick out the weeds when you see them.
- A gourmet vegetable if you like cooking, these are the ones to grow!
- You get more for your money. From one shallot, you will get at least 2 more. They grow side bulbs similar to garlic.
- Cheaper to grow at home as they are expensive in the supermarkets due to their limited availability.
- Shallots are sweeter and milder than normal onions so can be eaten raw,
- Shallots are very nutritious vegetables and are high in prebiotics (gut health), vitamin B6, vitamin C, Vitamin A and antioxidants.
Methods of Planting Shallots
There are two methods of Growing Shallots (and is used with Onions too).
To see which method is for you, ask yourself this question:
Does your Soil get very wet (almost waterlogged) during long periods of rain?
- If Yes, choose Method 1 – Start indoors, don’t risk your Shallots rotting in the soil.
- If No, choose Method 2 – Plant Outdoors, your shallots are good to grow!
Shallots – Method 1 – Start Indoors (greenhouse)
I started my onions using this method last year and got a massive harvest. So I’m trying the same method with Shallots this year.
I grow my vegetables in raised beds however I live in a particularly wet area and my soil does get very saturated. I found out this the hard way and lost my first lot of onions like this. So don’t do what I did, try this method instead.
You will need:
- A cell tray with cells large enough to plant 1 shallot per cell.
- A bag of shallots from a certified seller,
- Compost,
- Watering can and water.
- A greenhouse for overwintering in.
Shallot Planting Months
Plant Indoors in November then Plant Outside between January & March.
I’ll plant my shallots outdoors, the same way I plant my onions – Video – Planting Onions (grown in a cell tray) outside.
👉 Video – Plant Shallots with Me
Shallots – Method 2 – Plant Outdoors
You will need – A raised bed or container:
- In full sun,
- With added compost.
- With drainage.
Spacing details
- Depth – 1 – 2 inches deep.
- Width apart – 3 – 6 inches.
