I dug mine up today and was disappointed--quite a few small plants due to poor soil (subsoil mixed in from putting in drainage pipes), and a good percentage of smelly rotting bulbs in with the good ones, but I did get 65 big bulbs and 180 smaller ones.
The patch was a bit of an experiment to test if smaller seed bulbs produce bigger bulbs. I planted four rows using increasingly bigger bulbs in each row -- using only narrow type bulbs, and then one row using big fat bulbs. The narrow seed bulbs of all sizes produced 3-4 fat bulbs, while the big fat seed bulbs produced 7-8 narrow type bulbs. For the narrow seed bulbs the variability in plant health made it difficult to tell if there was a difference in harvest bulb size between big vs small seed bulbs, but I'd put my money on the big narrow seed bulbs producing bigger bulbs.
The original seed bulbs I bought at the local nursery two years ago were quite small and didn't give me much of a harvest the first year. I think the maximum multiplication was four bulbs with most only giving 2 or 3.
-
jal_ut
- Super Green Thumb
- Posts: 7447
- Joined: Sun Jan 18, 2009 10:20 pm
- Location: Northern Utah Zone 5
I have only been growing shallots for 3 seasons. The woman who gave me the starts said, "Plant the big bulbs in the fall.". It has worked out well. I dug one bulb, that is what grew from one bulb, a week ago. It had 8 very nice green onions in the cluster. I think most of the rest of the planting will do as well. They are still growing and I hope for a nice harvest.
Interesting!
I have grown shallots for quite a few years - French Grey. About 4 years ago I planted shallot seed - Prisma. Some sets were saved and I replanted them. Two years ago, I planted Picador seed and saved some sets. I may have gotten Picador & Prisma mixed up this time. They both have red/purple skin. (Sowed a little more Picador seed this year.)
The French Grey never were tremendous in production and I have resigned myself over 20 years that this is just the way it is. I don't plant much ground to them and there usually is a good amount for winter use. In fact, they store so well that you may be able to keep them right up until summer.
They are starting to look a little "tired" right now so those French Grey are coming to the end of their season. Quite a few of the reds are trying to bloom so I just went thru them and broke off the flower stalks. We will see how much that helps. Only about 10% of them bloomed in previous years.
You know, I'd never seen a shallot bloom until I planted those hybrids from seed
. Makes me wonder what they are hybridized with . . . are they 100% shallot . . !?
Anyway, I will look more closely at production this year and report back here on how the shallots do. I hope I can separate the Prisma from the Picador . . .
Steve
I have grown shallots for quite a few years - French Grey. About 4 years ago I planted shallot seed - Prisma. Some sets were saved and I replanted them. Two years ago, I planted Picador seed and saved some sets. I may have gotten Picador & Prisma mixed up this time. They both have red/purple skin. (Sowed a little more Picador seed this year.)
The French Grey never were tremendous in production and I have resigned myself over 20 years that this is just the way it is. I don't plant much ground to them and there usually is a good amount for winter use. In fact, they store so well that you may be able to keep them right up until summer.
They are starting to look a little "tired" right now so those French Grey are coming to the end of their season. Quite a few of the reds are trying to bloom so I just went thru them and broke off the flower stalks. We will see how much that helps. Only about 10% of them bloomed in previous years.
You know, I'd never seen a shallot bloom until I planted those hybrids from seed
. Makes me wonder what they are hybridized with . . . are they 100% shallot . . !?Anyway, I will look more closely at production this year and report back here on how the shallots do. I hope I can separate the Prisma from the Picador . . .
Steve