Author Topic: What's your opinion on shop bought shallots? (Read 4966 times)

mpdjulie · « **on:** November 04, 2009, 10:17:27 »

Last year I paid quite a bit of money for some yellow moon shallots from Marshalls. The results were fairly disappointing. Most of them only had about 3-4 shallots from a bulb and none of them were that much bigger from when I planted them.
What are your thoughts on planting shop bought shallots?

tonybloke · « **Reply #1 on:** November 04, 2009, 10:30:32 »

several things spring to mind from this post
1, when did you plant them? (they need a cold spell to encourage splitting into more bulbs)
2, did you feed the soil before planting?
3, did you plant them firmly?
4, did you keep the weed population down?
5, did we have a good allium season last year?
rgds, Tony.

cleo · « **Reply #2 on:** November 04, 2009, 10:33:32 »

It`s been years since I have grown them with optimism(white rot here)

But when I had clean soil I bought the best I could find(and buy as soon as they appear as `shop` conditions are not the best for storage) and then kept some for planting the following year.

Mail order is a bit of a lottery--but Marshall`s are usually OK--let them know if you were unhappy

mpdjulie · « **Reply #3 on:** November 04, 2009, 10:41:46 »

I did ring Marshalls and let them know that I wasn't satisfied with the quality of the bulbs when I received them - alot of them were covered in green mould. They sent another pack free of charge.
Nearly all my onions planted from sets and again from Marshalls suffered from white rot this year and the shallots were in the beds surrounding the onions.

tonybloke · « **Reply #4 on:** November 04, 2009, 11:18:42 »

ah ha!! so you have the dreaded white rot on your plot? that makes one heck of a difference!!

cleo · « **Reply #5 on:** November 04, 2009, 11:22:26 »

They sent another pack free of charge.

I would have hoped/expected that from Marshall`s .

White rot is serious and you have my sympathy--it takes years and years to go.

mpdjulie · « **Reply #6 on:** November 04, 2009, 11:23:08 »

Would it be best if I stopped growing onions and the like for a few years?
Also, in my greenhouse I sowed some winter hardy white lisbon and senshyu. They currently are about 3-4 inches tall. What should I do with these because I was going to plant them out?

cleo · « **Reply #7 on:** November 04, 2009, 11:35:15 »

Would it be best if I stopped growing onions and the like for a few years?

Part of me says yes`--and 15 years?(at least)

I discovered I had white rot in the soil when we moved here in 1993 and no aliums had been grown for at least 10 years before that.

Spring onions are OK--and for the last five years so too leeks.

Next season I`ll try onions and shallots again as a trial with shallots gave a clean crop

thifasmom · « **Reply #8 on:** November 04, 2009, 15:40:52 »

Quote from: mpdjulie on November 04, 2009, 11:23:08

Would it be best if I stopped growing onions and the like for a few years?
Also, in my greenhouse I sowed some winter hardy white lisbon and senshyu. They currently are about 3-4 inches tall. What should I do with these because I was going to plant them out?

how about making a long raised trough type container, then full with clean topsoil/ compost.

plainleaf2 · « **Reply #9 on:** November 04, 2009, 15:57:51 »

you could solarize the soil
http://www.ehow.com/how_4037_solarize-soil.html
this should kill just about every infectious agent in the soil.

Robert_Brenchley · « **Reply #10 on:** November 04, 2009, 16:21:09 »

I wonder whether it works. I notice the page says nothing about latitude or weather, both of which would have a large influence on the temperature reached. One comment adds a little, but I'd expect it to be addressed properly.

mpdjulie · « **Reply #11 on:** November 04, 2009, 16:25:59 »

how about making a long raised trough type container, then full with clean topsoil/ compost.
[/quote]
I was thinking about this myself, whether I could buy or make something for at least the onions I have growing in my greenhouse.

Dadnlad · « **Reply #12 on:** November 04, 2009, 18:01:34 »

Found this from Robinsons :

Onions can be grown on the same ground for many years; our own onion bed is now 140 years old and has grown onions continuously for this time. However a strict health routine must be followed if you require using the same ground again and again. If any onions are suspect always remove not only the plant but also a small amount of soil from where the onion was growing. Hopefully this will remove any unwanted bacteria in the soil. The ground will also benefit from a watering of Jeyes Fluid after the crop has been harvested; this again will kill any unwanted bacteria or fungi.

qahtan · « **Reply #13 on:** November 04, 2009, 18:40:32 »

Glads the subject pf shallots has shown up.
We grow them every year, can't seem to grow onions very well but shallots and leeks do very well. This year we harvested 22 pound shallots of I think the best size ever But................ here is the problem, they just didn't /don't seem to dry properly. Although they look good after the initial coat is removed
there is a very wet layer,. This is not all but quite a lot of them.
They were treated exactly the same way as previous years.
Any ideas why this is happening, or what can be done about it.
Don't ask me what variety they are as I have no idea....
Thanks for any help. qahtan

tonybloke · « **Reply #14 on:** November 04, 2009, 18:44:13 »

when do you harvest, qahtan?

qahtan · « **Reply #15 on:** November 04, 2009, 19:02:43 »

some when around 5 th August. I know Gerry said he had better put them in the garage as they had fallen over and he was worried they would get sun burnt,,, It rained one day and was stinking hot and humid the next kept going like this for ages...... maybe it was the humidity it has been high...
hate it,,, qahtan

realfood · « **Reply #16 on:** November 04, 2009, 20:09:16 »

Some shop bought shallots have been treated to prevent them sprouting, and are therefore no use to grow your own. In addition, they will not be certified stock and may carry disease which could infect your soil.

qahtan · « **Reply #17 on:** November 04, 2009, 20:31:07 »

These were saved and planted from last years harvest, the same procedure as we do every year.....
I know what you mean about treated so they do not grow. Genetically Modified
Several years ago while on a visit to UK we went into Harrods Food Halls, and in there were some lovely looking shallots the long ones,. can't remember the name. but we bought 6. brought them home, smuggled.
and next season planted them, nothing, not a whisper, I/we didn't expect Genetically Modified and that was obviously what they were from there.

this years crop grew, but did not dry off inside.. qahtan

Geoff H · « **Reply #18 on:** November 05, 2009, 00:03:03 »

Quote from: qahtan on November 04, 2009, 20:31:07

These were saved and planted from last years harvest, the same procedure as we do every year.....
I know what you mean about treated so they do not grow. Genetically Modified
Several years ago while on a visit to UK we went into Harrods Food Halls, and in there were some lovely looking shallots the long ones,. can't remember the name. but we bought 6. brought them home, smuggled.
and next season planted them, nothing, not a whisper, I/we didn't expect Genetically Modified and that was obviously what they were from there.

this years crop grew, but did not dry off inside.. qahtan

A long French variety is quite easily found over here. One is called Jermor which i think Marshalls stock.
Am I right in thinking that you think you bought GM shallots in Harrods? I very much doubt it. There are very few GM crops grown in Europe due to public resistance. Some GM products do get in from outside Europe usually as components of food products.

chriscross1966 · « **Reply #19 on:** November 05, 2009, 03:11:52 »

Deffo not GM if fresh in this country..... treated with anti=sprout

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Author Topic: What's your opinion on shop bought shallots? (Read 4966 times)