RHS Growing Guides

How to grow shallots

Our detailed growing guide will help you with each step in successfully growing Shallots.

  1. Getting Started
  2. Choosing
  3. Preparing the Ground
  4. Sowing
  5. Planting
  6. Plant Care
  7. Harvesting
  8. Storing
  9. Problems
1

Getting Started

Getting Started
Choosing
Section 1 of 9

Shallots are easy to grow from immature

bulbs known as sets, and can also be grown from seed. Planted in a warm sunny location, they’ll produce a good crop of sweet, tangy bulbs that can be stored for many months.

Smaller, milder and sweeter than most onions, shallots are an easy crop for a sunny site
Shallots (Allium cepa Aggregatum Group) are a type of small, sweet onion, and are just as easy to grow, with a similar need for full sun and free-draining soil. To grow from sets (immature bulbs), plant outdoors in autumn or spring, and they’ll produce a cluster of new bulbs to harvest from early summer onwards. They can also be grown from seed, which takes a little more time and effort, and produces a single bulb each.

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2

Choosing

There are many shallot varieties to choose from, producing bulbs of various shapes, colours and sizes, with different flavours and levels of sweetness. Bulbs can be rounded, teardrop shaped or elongated. Some varieties store particularly well, others may be resistant to disease or bolting. Varieties with an RHS Award of Garden Merit (AGM) are a good choice and should produce a reliable crop – see our list of AGM fruit and veg and our Recommended Varieties below.

Sets or seeds?

Shallots can be started from seed, but are more usually grown from sets (immature bulbs). Each set produces a cluster of new bulbs, whereas a seed produces just one. Sets are the easier option, and are quicker to grow, fare better in colder regions and tend to be less vulnerable to disease. However, they are more expensive and must be planted soon after buying. Choose heat-treated sets to reduce the risk of bolting (flowering).
 
Seeds, on the other hand, are usually cheaper to buy and a packet could last several years. Seed-raised plants are less likely to bolt, but grow more slowly and need more attention in the early stages.

Shallot come in various shapes, including rounded, teardrop and torpedo (or banana) types

What and where to buy

Shallot sets are available in autumn and spring in garden centres and from online retailers. Seeds are usually available from similar sources all year round. You may also find young plants on sale in garden centres in spring and early summer, ready for planting out – ideal if you only want a few.

Recommended Varieties

Showing 3 out of 5 varieties
3

Preparing the Ground

To produce a good crop, shallots need a sunny, sheltered site with fertile, well-drained soil. Raised beds are usually ideal. Avoid growing in damp soil, as this makes the crop more prone to fungal diseases. Shallots have a limited root system, so improving the soil with organic matter before sowing or planting is invaluable – fork in a bucketful of well-rotted (not fresh) manure or garden compost per square metre/yard. This improves the soil structure and helps to hold moisture in the soil. You could also apply a high potassium general fertiliser, such as Vitax Q4 (one handful per square metre/yard). Shallots won’t do well in acid soil (below pH 6.5), so if necessary, reduce acidity by adding lime in autumn or winter.  
 
Shallots are best suited to growing in the ground, but if your soil isn’t suitable or you don’t have spare space, you could plant a few in a large, deep trough or patio container in a sunny spot. Shallots won’t do well in growing bags.

4

Sowing

Although shallots are usually grown from sets, which is the easiest option, they can be grown from seed too, sown indoors or outside. For a good crop, shallot plants must be growing strongly by late spring, as the lengthening days trigger the formation of bulbs – the more leaves that plants have at this time, the better the bulbs will be.

Sowing indoors

Sow shallot seeds in late winter in modular trays or small pots. Sow five or six in each module/pot, then thin out to three or four seedlings. Each seed will only produce one bulb, so sowing several together will produce a clump. Seeds need 10–16°C (50–60°F) to germinate. Keep the seedlings in a warm bright place – they can be transplanted outside in spring – see Planting below.

Sowing outdoors

Sow shallot seeds from early to mid-spring outdoors, once the soil is drier and beginning to warm up. Prepare the sowing site as described above. Sow the seeds thinly, in drills 1cm (½in) deep, spacing rows 20cm (8in) apart. Protect the seedlings from slugs and snails, especially in damp weather. Thin out the seedlings first to 5cm (2in) apart, then later to 10cm (4in). Closer spacing will result in more bulbs and a heavier overall crop, but smaller individual bulbs.

5

Planting


You can plant shallots either as sets, in autumn or spring, or as young seed-raised plants in spring.

Planting sets

Push the set gently into loose soil or dig a small hole, planting so only the papery tip shows
Sets are usually planted in spring, from mid-March to mid-April. A few varieties can be planted from late October to mid-March – these are less sensitive to cold, which would otherwise cause bolting. Avoid autumn planting in heavy soil prone to waterlogging over winter, as the bulbs are likely to rot. Prepare the ground as explained above, then plant the sets 2cm (¾in) deep, so the tip is just showing at the surface. Space them 15–20cm (6–8in) apart, in rows 30–45cm (12–18in) apart. Firm the soil around the sets and water well.

Another planting option is to cover the ground with biodegradable weed-suppressing membrane, then plant the sets through slits, to reduce the need for weeding.

TOP TIP

Birds have a tendency to peck newly planted sets out of the ground, so check regularly and replant any that are displaced. If it happens a lot, consider covering them until well rooted with some re-used feece or a plastic-free alternative.

Planting young plants

If you’ve grown your own shallot plants from seed indoors, or bought young plants, they should be planted outside in spring into the ground or a large container. Harden them off first to acclimatise them to garden conditions. Don’t split up multi-seeded pots/modules into single plants – just plant them as they are, to form a clump of bulbs. Space the clumps 15–20cm (6–8in) apart, in rows 30–45cm (12–18in) apart. Gently firm the soil around the plants and water well.

Plant seed-raised shallots outside in spring, in a sunny, weed-free plot, then water well
6

Plant Care

Watering

Once well rooted in, shallots don’t generally need watering except in prolonged dry spells in early summer or if growing in a container. Avoid watering once the bulbs have swollen in mid-summer. Watering spring-planted crops after mid-summer can mean they store less successfully. Also try to avoid wetting the bulbs or foliage if you do water, as this can encourage fungal diseases.

Feeding

In late winter, give autumn-planted shallots a nitrogen-rich fertiliser, such as sulphate of ammonia, at a rate of 35g (1oz) per square metre/yard, or use a dry poultry manure. This not only improves growth but can also deter premature flowering (bolting). You can also give an occasional feed with a general liquid fertiliser, from spring to mid-summer, especially if plants are in containers.

Weeding

For a good crop of shallots, it’s important to keep weeds at bay. Shallot leaves cast little shade, so weeds grow readily and can soon swamp the crop, leading to poor growth and smaller bulbs. So weed regularly, ideally by hand. If using a hoe, be careful not to damage the bulbs or foliage. Planting through a biodegradable weed-suppressing membrane (see Planting, above) reduces the need for weeding. 

Related RHS Guides
Controlling weeds

Removing flowers

Remove any flower stems as soon as they start to form, otherwise the plant’s energy will go into producing the flower, rather than swelling the bulbs. It also means the bulbs won’t store well, so at harvest time set aside any that tried to flower, to use first.

7

Harvesting

Harvest shallots once the leaves flop over and start to die back
Shallots usually ripen in mid- to late summer, depending on the variety, planting time and weather conditions. When the foliage turns yellow and flops over, they are ready for harvesting. Use a hand fork to gently lever the clusters of bulbs out of the ground, taking care not to bruise them, as this could lead to rotting in storage. Carefully separate clusters into individual bulbs. The bulbs can either be used straight away or dried and stored for later use.

8

Storing

Shallots generally store really well, for at least six to eight months. Dry the bulbs fully before storing. Lay them out in a single layer on wire racks or slatted trays, so air can circulate beneath. Leave them outdoors in full sun to dry for about two weeks or in a greenhouse or well-ventilated shed if the weather is damp.
 
When ready for storing, all the foliage should be dry and papery. Only store perfect, undamaged bulbs. Trim off any remaining dried foliage, then place the bulbs in net bags or trays in a single layer and keep in a light, cool, dry and well-ventilated place. Avoid storing in the dark, as this encourages sprouting.

9

Problems

Storing
Guide Start
Section 9 of 9

Shallots are easy to grow and relatively trouble free, although they can be affected by various fungal diseases that affect the onion family, especially in damp growing conditions or if poorly stored. Flowering (bolting), triggered by low temperatures in spring, means bulbs won’t store well. Onion fly can cause problems, while slugs and snails may eat the foliage.

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