Plant one shallot set and lift up to twelve next summer

The main planting time for shallots is early February to late March, earlier than onions. If your soil drains well, you can also plant from early October to late November for a crop a few weeks sooner.

Each set you plant splits into a cluster of eight to twelve shallots by summer. That’s what makes them good value, and why they need a bit more room than an onion set.

Spring or autumn

Spring planting is the safe default. Shallots are hardy to about -10 °C, so February and March plantings shrug off frost, and the sets root quickly as the soil starts to warm.

Autumn planting gives an earlier harvest, usually from mid-June, and gets a job done in a quieter month. It works best on light, free-draining soil, as sets sitting in cold, waterlogged ground over winter can rot. Choose varieties sold for autumn planting.

These dates are for a typical lowland garden in England or Wales. In Scotland, the north of England and on heavy, cold soil, spring planting from late February is more reliable. In the south-west and near the coast, you can start in early February.

How to plant

1. Choose a sunny spot with well-drained soil that had compost dug in for a previous crop. Fresh manure isn’t needed.
2. Rake the soil level and firm it lightly.
3. Push each set into the soil so just the tip shows.
4. Space them 20 cm apart in rows 30 cm apart, or four to a square in square foot gardening.

Birds love pulling up newly planted sets by their papery tips. Trim the loose skin at the top before planting, and cover the row with fleece or netting until the sets have rooted, usually two to three weeks. Push any that get lifted back in.

On heavy soil, start sets in modules of compost in a cold frame and plant them out once they have roots and a little green growth.

Looking after them

Shallots don’t like competition, so weed carefully by hand around the bulbs. Water only in long dry spells in spring and early summer, and stop once the bulbs are swelling well.

Carrots, beetroot, lettuce and strawberries grow well nearby. Keep shallots away from peas and beans, and rotate them with onions, garlic and leeks, as they share pests and diseases. Our crop rotation guide shows how.

When to lift

Shallots are ready from mid-June to mid-August, about 110 to 140 days after planting. The leaves turn yellow and flop over. Lift the clusters gently with a fork and leave them on the surface to dry for a few days in fine weather, or under cover if it’s wet.

Separate the bulbs once the skins are papery, and store them in a net or tray somewhere cool, dry and airy. Keep a few of the best for next year’s sets if they’re healthy.

Common problems

Sets pulled up. Birds. Net or fleece the row for the first few weeks.

Bolting. A flower stalk, often after a very cold spell or a long dry spring. Snap it off and use those shallots first, as they don’t store well.

White rot. Fluffy white mould at the base and yellowing leaves. It stays in the soil for years, so don’t grow onions or shallots in that bed again for a long time.

Downy mildew. Grey, furry patches on the leaves in damp weather. Space plants well and keep them weeded.

Shallots are planted alongside garlic in October, so see our garlic planting guide too, and set your own frost dates on the shallot page.