shallots from seed

[flossie]

OH does the cooking and prefers shallots so that is all that I grow. 
Next year thought that I would try gowing some from seed. Advice appreciated from anyone who has grown them from seed. 

[flossie]

[tricia]

I have been given some banana shallot seeds. I will be sowing them in a heated propagator over Christmas sometime and growing the seedlings on in my cool greenhouse. Never done this before, so it will be interesting to see how it goes. I couldn't find much information on Google about sowing shallot seeds, but plenty about onions, so it's very much trial and error!

Tricia

[cornykev]

;D Only grown from sets, stick em in the ground and water no problem. ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

[weedin project]

Hi Flossie
we bought a packet of seeds in France this autumn - it says to sow them in spring, so I'll wait till then and treat them the same as my onions from seed. 
We also brought back some torpedo-shaped shallots and they are planted out under a fleece tunnel to see what happens.  ???

[triffid]

Hello Flossie,

Also experimenting for next year, for the same reason. Just bought a packet of shallot seed from Robinson's, the firm known for its giant exhibition veg seeds, though these are just standard-sized ones.

http://www.mammothonion.co.uk

This comes from their handy 'cultivation tips' section

We have found the easiest method is to sow the seed in trays indoors during January and plant out during the early spring. Shallots grown from seed tend to be larger than from the sets.

The ground preparation is the same for both types. It is important that the ground is not too rich as this will only cause soft growth and the shallot will not store well.

Use ground that has had a very light covering of manure. Apply a good general fertiliser and work well into ground. Harvest when tops begin to turn yellow or flop over. Cut tops off immediately and dry indoors.

[flossie]

Thanks folks will start them off in trays as suggested and let you know how I get on

[OliveOil]

not grown shallots from seed but my onions from seed are going great guns so i cant see why not - would save a fortune... just paid £3 for 13 shallot sets... thoguht the packet said 10 sets.

[Robert_Brenchley]

Grow them and save the best. The good thing about these is that you only have to buy them once.