Topic: Shallots

[lottiedolly]

Planted my shallots in November with my garlic as they can be grown over winter. Had a little furtle on Saturday and there was nothing, when are shallots ready as they are in the middle of my squash bed and are ok for now, but once the squash start to go!!!!!

I would appreciate any advice on when they would be ready for digging up.

Kx

[pigeonseed]

I'm not sure what you mean by furtle, but it sounds like it means digging around - aren't shallots meant to planted right at the surface? So as the bulbs form and ripen they're exposed to the sun.

When they're ready, you see divided bulbs, fattened a bit. The skins papery and brown (or whatever colour your shallots are meant to go, they do vary) and the leaves start to wither a bit - like onions.

I think when they look like shallots ready for cooking, then they are!

Does that help?

[lottiedolly]

I'm not sure what you mean by furtle, but it sounds like it means digging around - aren't shallots meant to planted right at the surface? So as the bulbs form and ripen they're exposed to the sun.

When they're ready, you see divided bulbs, fattened a bit. The skins papery and brown (or whatever colour your shallots are meant to go, they do vary) and the leaves start to wither a bit - like onions.

I think when they look like shallots ready for cooking, then they are!

Does that help?

Oh, i think i have boobed, i planted them like garlic, and i was told that as they grow, they enlarge up to the surface.

What should i do???

[antipodes]

Hmm let's see. Normally shallots are planted at the same time as onions, or a little bit before, so at the end of winter (Mine went in in March). They are planted just below the surface, like onion sets.
They should send up green shoots after about 10-15 days, just like onions. When the grow, the bulb divides and they form like a little bunch. As they swell and ripen, they gradually push their way out of the ground. Then the stems will start to yellow and shrivel, They should be ready, oooh any day now?
If they have stayed below the ground and never come up then I am afraid, in layman's terms, they are buggered. Start again next winter?  Perhaps some people overwinter them, personally I don't, but even so you see growth, in that case, just like with garlic.

[Jayb]

Perhaps if they were planted not too deep they may stand a chance so if the leaves are still green and growing strongly try and draw some soil from around the stems, some sunlight may help! If you have no leaves they are a gonna!

[pigeonseed]

Oh dear - have they got leaves, lottiedolly?