Shallots

johnp 5/16/2015, 7:46 am

Before I ask my stupid question of the day I have to calm down. I went out at first light this AM and found that my beets and chard (just coming up) were dug up by my dog. I am still restrained but boiling mad. Mad

I am going to make pickled German potato salad for dinner tonight. I have everything I need but one shallot. I planted shallots last fall and they look really good. I know they are not fully grown but are they useable or do I need to go to the store and buy one?

CapeCoddess 5/16/2015, 8:54 am

That's a good question. Camprn is is pretty good with shallots, maybe she'll chime in. If it were me in that position I would probably use a few of the shallot leaves along with some chives, particularly garlic chives. If no chives, I'd use any onion leaves.

CC

johnp 5/16/2015, 9:31 am

That sounds great CC. I have lots and lots of chives. It seems to me that one shallot is about the size of a small red potato so would you use the same amount of chives or less?

CapeCoddess 5/16/2015, 9:47 am

Hmm...

maybe taste the leaves and see where they are strengthwise, then you'll know how much. You can always add some to the salad, taste and add more if needed until it's right.

Cajun Cappy 5/16/2015, 10:33 am

Your onions are fine to use. We break the greens off of or shallots all the time. The onions though small will work too. As suggested taste them when diced up to see how strong but Ya prolly do that anyways.

johnp 5/28/2015, 9:12 am

All my shallots are forming flower stems. Should I remove them before they flower?

**camprn** 5/28/2015, 11:25 am

photo please

Cajun Cappy 5/28/2015, 1:35 pm

The old timers say that shallots reproduce 2 ways the onion bulbs divide and they will make seeds. They say that if you let those stems flower the onions will not divide. Most folks pinch them off at the bottom when they see the buds on the end and leave them lay in the garden. Peggy and I love them they are thicker than the other leaves and lots stronger oniony flavor and great in salads etc. We snap ours off and eat them. They are delicious. Every bulb we plant we always get several in a cluster[url=#54791355] back

shallots - Shallots - Page 2 Arrow-10x10

[/url].

yolos 5/28/2015, 2:25 pm

johnp wrote:All my shallots are forming flower stems. Should I remove them before they flower?

This is my third year planting shallots and I have never seen a flower stem on them. thinking

Must be different varieties ???

**camprn** 5/28/2015, 2:37 pm

yolos wrote:
johnp wrote:All my shallots are forming flower stems. Should I remove them before they flower?

This is my third year planting shallots and I have never seen a flower stem on them.
Must be different varieties ???

Yeah, my shallots never have flowers. Are you sure they are actual multiplying shallots and not onions? Were you able to get a photo?

johnp 5/28/2015, 6:14 pm

They are shallots,guaranteed. I would love to send a picture but my wife confiscated my camera for a class on photographing her art for shows. I cut all flowers off but one and when I get my camera back I will take one.

johnp 5/28/2015, 7:16 pm

I got my camera back, all the settings are different. Never knew my camera could do what it did today. Anyway a photo: shallots - Shallots - Page 2 Dscn0917

**camprn** 5/28/2015, 8:30 pm

huh,

those just don't look like shallots I've seen. Here is a photo of my shallots.

shallots - Shallots - Page 2 02110

johnp 5/29/2015, 8:44 am

OK, I bought them and planted on Oct. 14, 2014. They were purchased from Farm Direct Organic seed company. They are certified organic by the CO. dept. of Agriculture. They are Organic Sante Shallot. Description is large bulbs with brown rose skin and pink and white flesh. Great flavor, good yields and storage qualities.
Looking down: shallots - Shallots - Page 2 Dscn0918

**camprn** 5/29/2015, 9:05 am

OK, I'm getting a better picture of the situation now. Did the foliage ever die back this past winter time?

Here is my guess.

You planted them 7 months ago and you planted them deeply. Typically shallots a harvested once the bulbs are clearly separated and the foliage declines. in my area this usually takes about 75-90 days give or take.

I think perhaps your shallots have been in the ground too long.

http://www.territorialseed.com/Shallots

Why do onions and shallots bolt?
http://www.marshalls-seeds.co.uk/what-to-do-if-your-onions-and-shallots-bolt-ggid142.html

johnp 5/29/2015, 9:54 am

Thanks camprn. I went out and pulled one plant up. It looks to me like they are fine, just need more time to grow. What do they look like to you?

This was one plant I pulled and this is what it looked like when I cleared the MM off of it: shallots - Shallots - Page 2 Dscn0921

**camprn** 5/29/2015, 10:18 am

they look good enough to eat.

So, pull the all up, and as the article said, any that were putting up a flower stalk should be used first. The others, let them rest outside for a day and then put them in a sheltered well ventilated area to cure for several weeks.

Save the biggest ones for next season planting.

Don't plant them so deep next time. they should just be sort of sitting up on the dirt.

shallots - Shallots - Page 2 Planting-shallots

shallots - Shallots - Page 2 Planting-shallots

johnp 5/29/2015, 3:48 pm

Thanks camprn. Before I dug them up just on a hunch I called Farm Direct Seed located in Avondale CO. and just happened to get the owner on the phone. I am probably going to use the wrong word but he said they vernalized last winter sometime which is very common in Colo. when we get mild weather in the winter. He said he is doing the same thing, cutting off the scapes and selling them to chefs by the box full. He does it every year. He said to leave them in the ground until the leaves turn brown and they will continue to develop to full size.

**camprn** 5/29/2015, 7:01 pm

johnp wrote:Thanks camprn. Before I dug them up just on a hunch I called Farm Direct Seed located in Avondale CO. and just happened to get the owner on the phone. I am probably going to use the wrong word but he said they vernalized last winter sometime which is very common in Colo. when we get mild weather in the winter. He said he is doing the same thing, cutting off the scapes and selling them to chefs by the box full. He does it every year. He said to leave them in the ground until the leaves turn brown and they will continue to develop to full size.

nice! That's great info! Dont forget to eat those luscious scapes!

Sponsored content

Shallots

Shallots

Re: Shallots

Re: Shallots

Re: Shallots

Re: Shallots

Shallots

Re: Shallots

Re: Shallots

Re: Shallots

Re: Shallots

Re: Shallots

Re: Shallots

Re: Shallots

Re: Shallots

Re: Shallots

Re: Shallots

Re: Shallots

Re: Shallots

Re: Shallots

Re: Shallots


	Hello Guest! Welcome to the official Square Foot Gardening Forum. There's lots to learn here by reading as a guest. However, if you become a member (it's free, ad free and spam-free) you'll have access to our large vermiculite databases, our seed exchange spreadsheets, Mel's Mix calculator, and many more members' pictures in the Gallery. Enjoy.