Shall I Shallot?

[mnjrutherford]

Save a few for me Kate!

[bunkie]

Jan 10, 2010 1:59:26 GMT -5 canadamike said:

It is said that true shallots don't produce seeds...they say the same thing about garlic and it is not always true.......

you know, i had some 'true' shallots, can't remember the name, that i had missed and were left in the ground for over 2 years and they finally produced seed. i was so surprized as i'd never seen shallots go to seed. i couldn't find anything on the internet about it and noone had ever experienced it before.

[mjc]

Well, considering that I planted seeds for A. oschaninii (French gray or griselle), yesterday, I'd say that it was definitely not true about lack of seed production. And I WILL have some to share, later...I'm going to see how these germinate, first before sharing out the rest of the seed (and maybe have some bulbs to share later this summer/fall).

[canadamike]

Here is an interesting link, but it is in french. Use a translating program...

www.inra.fr/internet/Directions/DIC/presinra/SAQfiches/echalote.htm

[mnjrutherford]

I'm trying to navigate to that page translated by the site, but I can't locate that particular one. If you go to the home page, there is an option to view the site in English or Spanish as well as in French.

I can't figure out the path to that article and the search engine takes me to a page that focuses specifically on a particular variety. Have any suggestions?

[canadamike]

I just tried it and it brings me to the good page on shallots...

[mnjrutherford]

Yea, the link works, but the page is in French. I don't speak or read French The homepage offers translation, but I can't navigate from the homepage to the article.
I tried using Bablefish for translation... it makes it a bit strange...

[bluelacedredhead]

Jan 27, 2010 21:22:42 GMT -5 canadamike said:

it is in franch.

Michel, Is this a slang term for Quebecois? ;D

[qahtan]

Years ago we bought shallots these were the real shallots, any way we planted some when it was the time to do so, had a good harvest, so used a lot, gave some away. and saved some for next year....
we have been doing this for many years, Gerry always selects the ones he want for planting next year, the rest are for kitchen /friends.
We always get a bumper crop. this was last years, 28 pound.

Now although we do very well with shallots and leeks, we never have much luck with onions, don't ask me why but thats how it goes.............. qahtan

[raymondo]

I've never had success with shallots. What's a good planting regime?

[bunkie]

i don't know if this is correct ray, but i always planted ours with the garlic in the fall.

[raymondo]

Thanks bunkie. I'll be putting in my garlic soon so I'll add some shallots.

[canadamike]

I plant them early in spring. I cannot say it for sure, but to me they seemed more responding to lime than others. This is no science though, just an impression.

But one thing is sure: they are a counterintuitive crop. DO NOT PLANT THE BIG SHALLOTS, eat them. They'll give you many smallish bulbs, a bad crop. Eat the biggies and plant the small....they will give you fewer but bigger bulbs.

I suspect there lies the reason for many failures....

I just spent 5 hours sowing seeds of hundreds od wild alliums yesterday in a commercial greenhouse that gives me space, there are a lot of ''ALLIUM SP'' and A. oschanii and vavilovii in the lot, so I would not be surprised to see pop up some pretty darn good ''shallot'' like stuff, even the grey ones. THE ones...

We will see....

[raymondo]

Michel, your exuberance of alliums will be fascinating to follow.

Spring eh ... I'll try some then too, if I can lay my hands on any.

[canadamike]

My OERPREI wild leeks have made it beautifully through the winter and I have to replant them elsewhere. I should have plenty of seeds this year, who knows, some might be bound for down under!!!

Here are 2 pictures of a few of the plantings