shallot question

[grawrc]

It is said that you should plant small shallots to get large ones  and plant large ones to get small ones. Does anyone know why? Also does this apply to any other plants?(I know that smaller onion sets are less likely to bolt.)

[grawrc]

[earlypea]

I also read somewhere that the same rule applies to potato onions, but why it should be the case I can't remember nor where I saw it  ???

[laurieuk]

It depends on varieties. If you grow Hative de niort you plant from ones that only had four bulbs so that you get four large for round exhibition ones. To grow small pickling ones from large ones you plant in a 3 inch pot and starve them, then you get small round ones.

[grawrc]

Thanks for that! :) Mine are eschalote grise - most of them are OK but some of them are huge. Anyway all planted today.

[manicscousers]

going to plant some of our saved ones, Eric did this every year :)

[grawrc]

I meant to do that too but they were exceptionally yummy .... :-[ :-[ :-[ :-[ :-[ ;D