Planting Shallots now?

[suzylou]

I picked up a few bags of shallots for 99p each in Wilkos this week - is it really far too late to plant them?  Should I try it anyway, or should I just hope they'll keep until the winter?

[suzylou]

[Gadfium]

It's probably too late to plant the shallots, they usually go in the ground around mid-Feb to mid-Mar; and get lifted when the leaves turn yellow (July).

Not sure if they'll last to the next growing season... but someone else will know, and post; however the third option is simply to eat them.

[keef]

Well it is a bit late - but if you've got some spare ground just stick'em in, you've got nothing to loose as they wont keep till next year.

Must metion though, I bought some cheap shallots from Wilkos back in February and they're no where near as big or as healthy looking as my own keep-overs from last years crop.

[suzylou]

Thanks for that - they were a bit of an impulse buy, shallots being one of the things that if I'd known when they went in, and planned ahead, would have been "must haves".

I don't have a lot of space, but I might put a few in and see....good idea on eating the rest, I didn't think of that!! They do look a bit pathetic though.

[agapanthus]

A friend of mine on our allotment field told me that the best ever shallots he had were ones he planted in June!!!!!!!!

[suzylou]

Well they went in on Wednesday so I'll let you know if anything happens ;)

My allotment technique seems to be "if it's not dead, it can stay" :)