Shallot confusion!!

[veggiechicken]

Is the difference between shallots that you grow from seed and those from sets, that the seed ones form one bulb only but the sets split into several?
Will the ones grown from seed, if replanted, split the following year?
OR are they completely different types with only the name "shallot" in common"?
Advice please

[Bigmallly]

Good question VC, I was hoping that the seeds I have sown will grown into a bulb which when planted out will split but now you have put doubts in my mind. Thanks for that..........

[Aberdeenplotter]

apart from your sentence which reads OR are they completely different types with only the name "shallot" in common" the answers to your questions are absolutely in the affirmative .

It is why shallots grown from seed are not normally allowed on the showbench.

[veggiechicken]

Soooooooo, it takes two years to grow a splitting shallot from seed?

[Aberdeenplotter]

well 18 months or so.

[veggiechicken]

What's the timetable Ap? Do they stay in the ground for 18 months? I'm still confused

[Snadger]

Soooooooo, it takes two years to grow a splitting shallot from seed?

As far as I know shallots grown from seed won't split? The seed you get from these 'seed sown' shallots, if planted will still only create single unsplitting specimens.
If I'm wrong, I'll stand corrected!

[Aberdeenplotter]

You can leave them in the ground as Shallots are very hardy but I would personally lift and dry them in the autumn and replant around this time. Prevents damage from slugs and you may want to grow in a different place in the second year. Each bulb will divide into 4 - 6 shallots so think of how many you want to produce and keep only enough for that and consign the rest to the cookpot

[Snadger]

Just to add to the confusion, if you planted shallot corms and managed to get them to throw up seed heads and harvested the seed...............I've got no idea what would happen......

[Aberdeenplotter]

As far as I know shallots grown from seed won't split? The seed you get from these 'seed sown' shallots, if planted will still only create single unsplitting specimens.
If I'm wrong, I'll stand corrected!

I've grown the variety 'Ambition' from seed and planted some on in the second year and these have produced multiple bulbs.

[Aberdeenplotter]

Just to add to the confusion, if you planted shallot corms and managed to get them to throw up seed heads and harvested the seed...............I've got no idea what would happen......

you will get a single bulb from single seed in the first year

[veggiechicken]

I have some Ambition shallot seeds in front of me, from the VSP! They're F1 so, presumably, they wouldn't grow true from self saved seed anyway?

[Aberdeenplotter]

they may but probably won't. It's what makes saving seed so interesting

[Snadger]

I think it must be variety dependant? I wonder what is the defining quality that seperates a shallot from an onion? I suspect it may be the 'bunching' gene?
I grow differing varieties of torpedo shallot and onion because they have a distinctive taste and have never got them to 'bunch' on replanting in spring or autumn. They normally just run straight to seed.

[veggiechicken]

The VSP seeds are Unwins Grosure £2.49 for 50 - that's 5p a seed I'd have to be very confident that I could grow a decent sized shallot at that price.