Shallots - how to get the best yield

[Cutecumber]

Does anyone know what determines the number of shallots that develop from a set?

In the past I have had sets (of the same variety, in the same season) that produced between four and twelve bulbs each. I didn't treat them differently as far as I know. This year, so far, the sets are splittling into very small numbers - there's a while to go, but it looks as if the most will be four or five.

I imagine that some varieties have a heavier yield than others, and I guess that the growing conditions are a contributing factor... but in what way? What do I aim for to get the best possible yield per set?

I would be interested in anyone's ideas.

Thanks

CC

[Snadger]

I suspect that even though you have less sets per plant the overall weight of useable shallots will be the same?
ie, 4 big ones will be same weight as 8 little ones!

[nick the grief]

I'd buy that Snadger. If you bank on around 4 per plant it will give you an idea. If you want more shallots but smaller try saving them from the higher producing ones.

The more space you give them the higher the yeild as well but it gets to be a a point of diminishing returns. I usually give them around a foot apart in the rows and about 2ft between the rows but I sow a row of carrots inbetween them ( trying to confuse the carrot fly with onion smells) and I think I planted about 45 out this year so Mrs G had better learn to pickle

[Alice]

Thanks for the question Cutecucumber as I am growing shallots for the first time. Mine all seem to have split into 3, but they are in a container and nothing like Nick's spacings. However, if I get 3 for 1 I'll be delighted with that. But I'll note the advice for next year when I'll be growing in a raised bed.

[Cutecumber]

hmmm interesting...

at the moment, the shoots do look very thick and lush, so perhaps the shallots will indeed be big and chunky. As for spacing, I have five in the ground, about a foot apart, and a few in 1ft diameter pots (with a couple of lettuce for good measure).

They all started life in 5 inch pots and were planted when the green shoots were about four inches high. So my next question is...

was the number already determined by the time the green shoots came up? I haven't counted the number of early shoots before, so I don't have any info to compare.

Would starting them in 5 inch pots (they were well looked after and by no means pot-bound when I planted them) have affected the yield?

Any offers?

[Flummery]

Hmm. I've never started shallots off in pots. They grow so readily that I always put them (carefully so as not to damage the root plate) straight into the ground. I wonder if the transplanting process makes a difference? anyone tried it both ways for a comparison?
Just rushed out (in the rain - the things I do for the Grapevine!) and mine are between 3 and 7 per clump though there's one twinny and a little Billy No-mates!

[Cutecumber]

I think I've got several twins this year, a couple of triplets and the rest quads!

Unfortunately, I can't find mention in my gardening diary of the variety I used a couple of years ago which gave 12 bulbs off a couple of sets. They were in the ground, though, I remember.

Oh, and mine are "Red Sun" this year.

[TEB]

good thread but I now have a bit of a problem, few weeks ago I bought 2 punnets of Onions, 1 x Sturon and 1 x Shallots, the shopkeeper put them in their own brown paper bag but not labelled. I compared the sets to some on-line pictures and decided what where what and planted. Now what I thought were Sturon maybe the shallots from going on this thread because what I thought were Sturon have between 8 and 14 shoots and the others have about 3, can you tell I have never grew Shallots before - methinks a label change is in order

[nick the grief]

I start mine off around Christmas time in 15 cell trays and they stay in these till I plant them out (around March) and they are kept in my cold greenhouse so they don't really start to do anything till jan/feb anyway.

You can save your own shallots year on year TEB so you don't need to keep buying them. I started with half a dozen that were given to me and I've just bulked up the numbers I plant every year saving the ones that are a nice shape and roughly the same size. I don't show them but it's just as easy to keep good uns as bad uns

[TEB]

You can save your own shallots year on year TEB so you don't need to keep buying them. I started with half a dozen that were given to me and I've just bulked up the numbers I plant every year saving the ones that are a nice shape and roughly the same size. I don't show them but it's just as easy to keep good uns as bad uns

Cheers for that Nick - will have to do some bargaining with the OH as I only have 12 sets in and no space for more. She'll probably leave scars (she loves shallots).

[Jules2]

I'm growing shallots for the first time this year, and I've planted mine quite closely (about 9" apart) and have 15 in a space roughly 6ft x 2ft. They each have between 3 and 7 bulbs, with most at around the 5 mark. I planted them in February, straight into the ground. They didn't shoot for about 4 weeks, but seem to have gone mad since then.

I'm a bit obsessed...counting them all the time, and I'm sure they are still splitting, so heres hoping for plenty of pickles...!

[Cutecumber]

Has anyone ever grown from seed?

[Mrs Dobby]

Growing PW's Banana Shallots from seed this year, we've about 35 in the ground on plot1, doing fairly well, but havent looked as to whether there is more than one bulb yet!

[notmilk]

Nick you said:
You can save your own shallots year on year TEB so you don't need to keep buying them
Could you explain how please? How do you store them over the winter without them sprouting or going soft?
tnx notmilk

[Snadger]

good thread but I now have a bit of a problem, few weeks ago I bought 2 punnets of Onions, 1 x Sturon and 1 x Shallots, the shopkeeper put them in their own brown paper bag but not labelled. I compared the sets to some on-line pictures and decided what where what and planted. Now what I thought were Sturon maybe the shallots from going on this thread because what I thought were Sturon have between 8 and 14 shoots and the others have about 3, can you tell I have never grew Shallots before - methinks a label change is in order

As far as I know, Sturon are onion sets and should only have one stem. All of the sets with multiple shoots will be shallots!