Planting Shallot
Shallot is a cool season vegetable in the Amaryllidaceae family. Getting the timing right is the difference between a strong stand and a disappointing one, so the windows below are given relative to your own last spring frost and first fall frost rather than a generic calendar date. Look up your local frost dates and count back or forward from there.
You can sow Shallot directly into the garden 2–4 weeks before your last frost.
For a fall crop, sow 4–6 weeks before your first fall frost so plants mature as the weather cools.
Shallot can be grown by direct sowing and transplanting. Direct sowing avoids transplant shock, while direct sowing is simplest where the season is long enough.
Spacing and Planting Depth
Give Shallot room to mature. The figures below come from verified extension and seed-supplier data for typical varieties.
| Spacing in row | 6 inches |
|---|---|
| Row spacing | 12 inches |
| Plants per sq ft | 2 |
| Planting depth | 1 inches |
| Sun requirement | Full sun |
Days to Maturity
Shallot reaches maturity in 90–120 days from sowing.
Shallot is ready to harvest after about 105 days. Harvest before summer heat or, for fall crops, before a hard freeze, to keep quality high.
Conditions and Care
As a cool-season vegetable, Shallot does its best growing in the cooler weather of spring and fall and tends to bolt or turn bitter in summer heat. It is frost hardy and can shrug off light freezes, so it can stay in the ground later into the season than tender crops.
Shallot needs full sun — give it at least six hours of direct light a day for the best growth and flavor. Sow seed about 1 inch deep, then keep the soil evenly moist until seedlings establish.
Shallot belongs to the Amaryllidaceae family; rotating where you grow members of this family each year helps limit the build-up of soil-borne pests and disease. Shallot is generally grown as a single planting each season rather than succession sown.
Companion Plants
Pairing Shallot with the right neighbors can improve growth and deter pests; a few combinations are best avoided.
Grows well with: Carrots, Beets, Tomato
Keep away from: Shelling Peas, Green Beans (Bush)