How to Plant, Grow, and Care for Shallots

One particular type of allium bulb is an essential component in many European dishes: shallots. How to grow them is usually not the first thing on anyone’s mind, but once you see the price at the market, growing your own shallot bulbs suddenly becomes much more appealing.

Today, we are looking at Allium cepa, previously known as Allium ascalonicum. This onion produces a large bulb that resembles a standard onion until the outer skin is removed. Once peeled, it looks surprisingly similar to garlic, with several large cloves. Inside each clove, the familiar layers reappear, just like an onion.

Milder than onion and far milder than garlic, and less likely to cause bad breath, each shallot bulb is an easy and rewarding addition to the garden. At a fraction of the cost of store-bought shallots, homegrown harvests make it easy to include these flavorful bulbs in your regular rotation of garden-fresh veggies.

The subtler flavor of shallot, or multiplier onions, is an incredible addition to your cooking. But the plant itself is also an incredible addition to your garden.

Believed to originate in the southwestern or central parts of Asia, the popularity of this onion family member spread rapidly to India. From there, it jumped to the Mediterranean and eventually to the rest of the world. It is rumored to have been transported from these regions by the Phoenicians.

What do shallots look like? A shallot growing in its bed might resemble a cluster of young bunching onions at first glance. But shallots, growing as they do from a singular clove, actually form a garlic-like cluster of bulbs in a small space. You will see a bunch of green tops springing up from the soil.

Like their other allium relatives, they can develop flower stems, but it is much tastier to harvest the shallot scapes once they shoot up. When ready to harvest, the end of the scape has a distinctive artist’s brush shape. If left alone, the inverted teardrop will swell and form a round, bristly flower. If harvested early, shallot scapes are a fantastic bonus of growing these plants.

The tubular leaves can also be harvested and are slightly milder than a spring onion or scallion. I prefer to leave them in place since they help indicate when the shallot is approaching harvest time, but clipping a few early in the plant’s lifespan will not cause any harm.

If your shallot successfully flowers, do not expect to sow its seeds viably. Most shallots have been cross-bred extensively and no longer produce viable seed.

Types of Shallots

While all shallots grow in a similar way, there are several variations. Some bulbs are reddish with a red to red brown papery exterior. Others are true brown, and some have a greyish hue.

These types are often referred to as French reds, French greys, or potato onions for the brownish variety. Some gardeners consider the greys to be the true shallot, while the other types are viewed as less traditional. The French in particular prize the grey French shallots for haute cuisine.

Popular varieties to grow include Allium oschaninii, or the French grey, known for its mild flavor and creamy texture; Allium cepa ‘French red’, which is common in the US market; ‘Dutch yellow’, a potato onion type with golden yellow skin; and ‘Ambition’, which has purple flesh and red skin.

Planting Shallots

As seed is rarely viable, planting shallots is done from sets. These sets are dried cloves of shallot that are suitable for replanting, usually small in size and easy to tuck into the soil.

People typically plant shallots in fall because they are excellent cool-weather crops. This does not mean they cannot tolerate some heat, so early spring planting can also be successful. In the right climate, some gardeners manage two harvests by planting in both spring and fall. Most growers, however, plant shallots in late summer to early fall as the weather begins to cool.

Choose a bed with extremely well-draining, loose soil enriched with plenty of organic material. The site should receive full sun whenever possible, but partial shade during the hottest part of the day is acceptable.

Plant each set so that the base is buried and the pointed tip remains just above the soil surface. Make sure the soil is loose enough for the plant to push through as it grows. Space the sets about six inches apart to allow good bulb development. Planting too closely can lead to crowding and smaller harvests.

How to Grow

So now that you know how to plant shallots, what about growing the immature bulbs? Let’s go over some of the best techniques to grow your shallots well.

Light

In growing zones 4 to 10, shallots are easy to grow. They’ll need full sun for best growth. In zones 9 through 10, some partial shade is okay during the afternoon heat.

Water

Providing your shallots with about one inch of water per week is usually a good guideline. The soil should remain consistently and evenly moist. While you should keep the soil moist, water should not pool on the surface, and excess should drain away easily.

Soaker hoses and mulching can reduce watering frequency, but the plants will still need adequate soil moisture to produce healthy bulbs.

Soil

Rich, well-drained soil with plenty of organic matter is ideal for shallots. It should contain enough organic material to retain moisture while still draining well. Worm castings, well-rotted horse or cow manure, and plant-based composts all help hold moisture for developing bulbs.

The bulbs cannot develop properly in hard-packed clay, so make sure your growing medium is loose at planting time. Mulch around your shallots to limit weed growth, since weeds can compete with bulbs and reduce yields.

The soil pH should be relatively neutral. An ideal range is between 6.0 and 6.8, although shallots can tolerate slightly higher or lower levels for short periods.

Temperature

If you are planting a fall crop, you may want to add a few inches of mulch around the plants to protect the bulbs from cold temperatures. This is not essential in zones 9 to 10, but most other zones will benefit from the extra insulation. Spring crops do not need cold protection, but they will still benefit from the moisture retention that mulch provides.

Fertilizing

Most of the fertility your bulbs need comes from preparing the soil well. If the soil contains a plentiful amount of organic material, the plants will grow successfully without additional feeding. At most, you can apply a diluted fish emulsion monthly to provide a small boost of nitrogen, but this is unnecessary if your soil was well amended at planting time.

Pruning

No pruning is required for shallots. You may want to harvest some of the green tubular leaves for fresh eating, but be selective if you do. You should be able to see individual stems emerging from the soil. To ensure the bulbs continue to grow to a good harvestable size, avoid removing more than one leaf per stem.

Propagation

Most shallots are sterile and do not produce viable seed. Since they form in cloves, planting dried cloves sold as sets is the easiest and most reliable way to propagate them.

Plant shallot sets in fall or spring. As they begin to produce green growth, mulch around the plants to retain moisture and protect the bulbs from cold or excess heat.

Harvesting

When your shallots are ready to harvest, the green tops will begin to droop and turn yellow. Once the tops soften and yellow, it is time to pull your shallots from the soil.

To harvest, use a cultivator fork to loosen the soil around the bulbs. Shallots have relatively shallow roots, so this step should not take long. If your plants are spaced six inches apart, you can loosen the soil for an entire row at once.

Brush off any soil clinging to the roots and place the bulbs on a tray to dry. After the exterior has dried, move them into an onion bag or another mesh container with good ventilation, then store them in a cool, dark place for further curing.

During the growing season, you can also harvest shallot greens and eat them much like green onions.

Storing

Store shallots in a cool, dark location in an onion bag or other mesh container at room temperature. You can use them at any time after harvest, but if they are fresh, they need to remain completely dry.

For longer-term storage, you can dice and freeze shallots, or caramelize and freeze them for quick use later. Dehydrating or frying are also good options for storing them dry. If you have used part of a shallot, refrigerate the remainder and use it within a day or two. They do not store well once the outer papery skin has been removed.

Troubleshooting

What problems will you encounter while you grow shallots? Are there any dangers to watch out for? Let’s talk about garden issues you’ll encounter while cultivating this delicious crop.

Growing Problems

If your shallots are not spaced at least six inches apart, you may find they won’t grow to their potential size. The closest spacing you should use in your garden is about four inches apart, but even that may be too close. For the best growth, a minimum of six inches is recommended.

Weeds are a major issue for shallot growers. Not only do they compete for moisture and nutrition, but they also compete for space. Since shallots need plenty of room to develop, this can become a serious problem. Keep weeds well away from your developing bulbs.

Pests

Onion maggots are the larvae of the onion fly. These maggots burrow into most allium bulbs as well as a few other bulbing plants. Where there is one maggot, there are usually many more, and as many as 50 can be feeding inside a single shallot.

Beneficial nematodes will attack and consume the larvae, eliminating the problem. Apply nematodes in spring so they have time to clear the soil of maggot larvae.

Thrips are also fairly common on shallots and usually target the green leaves or flower stalks. A light misting of neem oil on the foliage should eliminate most issues with them.

Diseases

While only common on shallots in humid regions, downy mildew can still become an issue. Regular applications of neem oil should help keep it under control.

Neck rot is a form of botrytis, Botrytis allii. This disease is not usually visible while the plant is growing. Once the shallots enter storage, however, the tops can begin to break down quickly. Because this disease is soilborne and cannot be removed once it is inside the bulb, prevention is essential. Rotate crops to prevent the buildup of this botrytis in the soil, and use fresh soil for your alliums whenever possible.

White rot is caused by the fungus Stromatinia cepivora. This pathogen can survive in the soil for many years and damages all types of allium. A whitish fungal mass will appear around the plants, sometimes dotted with black spots. Once infection occurs, the soil is no longer safe for planting alliums, and there are no practical remedies for home gardeners.

To avoid white rot, do not plant alliums in the same location year after year. Place future crops far from previously infected areas, sterilize your tools, and use resistant seed sets whenever available.

Frequently Asked Questions