more shallot questions

greenspun.com : LUSENET : Countryside : One Thread

Thanks to all who responded to my question about shallot planting. I actually tried to reply to a couple of you to ask a couple of follow up questions, but my reply was returned "undeliverable".

To Martin who told me how to plant them: do you also do succession plantings -- staggering the planting dates throughout the spring? I am hoping to sell some this year and would like a continuous, bountiful harvest.

Thanks.

-- TD Matheny (theny@intrex.net), March 02, 2002

Answers

Might find your answer at this link: Oregon State Univ., http://www.orst.edu/Dept/NWREC/shallot.html “Shallots respond --as do all varieties of Allium cepa-- to daylength. Bulbing is initiated with lengthening days. When fall- planted, shallots do not immediately initiate bulbing since the days are becoming shorter. If you plant small bulbs of shallots or multiplier onion (which would have few meristematic growing points), you tend to get larger bulbs in the subsequent crop. Conversely, if you plant larger bulbs, which will have more growing points, you get more but smaller bulbs. Adjust your planting sizes to meet your market specifications.”

-- BC (desertdweller44@yahoo.com), March 02, 2002.

TD, BC answered it quite well. Shallots respond top length of day rather than time in the ground. By planting in the fall in Wisconsin, it gives them a quicker start in the spring but possibly the results are the same. I mentioned that the small ones are saved for seed and indeed they do make the biggest bulbs in the end. Large eating size bulbs tend to produce a huge number of smaller bulbs. That's fine if you are looking to just sell them as seed for the next year. Bottom line is that you can get one crop only per season and they'll all "ripen" at the same time. If planted early enough and of good stock, you'll have plenty of marketable shallots. And as I believe I said before, they will remain in good condition for up to a year so you'd not have to worry about them being "garden fresh". Just consider them as sophisticated onions but plant them as per my previous instructions. That is, light soil and 8 inch minimum spacing.

Happy Gardening!

-- Martin Longseth (paquebot@merr.com), March 02, 2002.


Moderation questions? read the FAQ