- 1). Dig the bed in early spring two to four weeks after the last frost, as soon as you can work the ground. Loosen the soil 8 to 10 inches deep. Cover the area with 2 to 4 inches of compost or peat and work the material into the soil.
- 2). Plant each shallot set individually with the broad end down every 6 to 8 inches in rows set at least 2 feet apart. Push the shallots into the soil far enough that each shallots’ tip is covered by ½ inch of soil.
- 3). Maintain moist soil by watering frequently two to three times a week. Weed the bed as often as necessary. Spreading mulch around the bed keeps weeds down and moisture in.
- 4). Feed the shallots with a low-nitrogen fertilizer, if desired, when the first shoots appear soon after planting. Follow the directions on the package for your size garden area. For example, a 6-24-24 feed is recommended at a rate of 4 to 5 pounds per 100 square feet of bed.
- 5). Cut a few leaves from the shallots if you desire the greens portion for cooking starting 60 days after you planted the sets. If you leave most of the leaf attached to the plant, it will continue to grow as normal. If you’re driven to cut to within a few inches of the bulb, then pull the bulb and use all of the green material and small bulb.
- 6). Keep the shallots well watered as the bulb forms into a clump of bulbs packed together in a cluster above the ground. Lodge, or push over, the stalks when the shallots reach 16 to 18 inches tall to speed harvest time and mature the bulbs in three to four weeks.
- 7). Watch your shallots in fall for the leaves to die back to the ground and the bulbs to increase in size. Pull the bulbs and place them in a warm, dry area of your home for a month. Store the large harvested shallots in a cool, dry place until needed. Cook smaller bulbs as soon as needed.
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