Poor shallots

[petefj]

My shallots this year were very poor.  I overwintered them from last year, and I'm wondering if there is any real advantage in doing this.
I know that spring planted shallots can be very good, and I wondered if anyone can offer me advice on this subject.  To overwinter or not?

Peter

[petefj]

[chriscross1966]

Have you tried seed grown ones?

[petefj]

Have you tried seed grown ones?

And what's the advantage with them?  Do they require a two year period?

Peter

[chriscross1966]

No, you start seed off indoors in the late winter, as per onions... suggest six seeds to a 24-cell module cell.... plant them out at the end of March/early April (when you need to clear space indoors for the tender stuff I guess).... THe F1 strains Prisma and Matador are pretty vigourous and have a lot of disease resistance.....

[antipodes]

I never bother, I have always planted shallots first of all the onions, at the end of winter, often they are in by the last week in February. I use the long ones, like Jermor, and always get a good crop, usually yield x6 of planting. They like quite a rich soil I find, I always manure them.

[TISH]

think I read somewhere that growing shallots from seed results in bigger bulbs (but only one if memory serves - as opposed to a bunch). Havent tried it myself but the small ones are a pain to peel so might give it a go this year.

[grannyjanny]

If you plant as Chris suggests 6 to a cell that will create the bunch won't it?