Shallots

[susiewoosie]

My shallots have started sprouting do I need to keep watering them or do I just leave them alone. They are all being grown in containers (raised beds). Also do they need to be fed at any time?

[snohare]

Hi again Suzie. We must stop meeting like this, people will talk !
They will need more water as they get bigger, but at present won't need much moisture, so as long as the soil is moist they should be okay I think. Everything can do with a feed sometimes, it depends on how rich your soil is in different elements as to whether or not it needs "topping up". I'd be surprised if they need feeding at this early stage.
Every type of plant is limited by lack of some kind of nutrient, usually this element is determined by what the plant is trying to grow.The rule is Nitrogen (N) for leafy plants, Phosphorus (P) for roots and Pottasium (K) for fruit. I think - I may have gotten the last two back to front !

[susiewoosie]

Because everything is in containers I've used a mixture of MPC, top soil and well rotted farmyard manure. Does that help?

Thanks for all your help by the way.

[snohare]

Well rotted FYM is great, and MPc will say on the bags what it has - usually enough NPK to keep plants going for a while to begin with.
Pleasure to help - now I really must actually go do something outside instead of surfing !