Shallots

When to plant/sow in zone:

Requirements: Full sun in well-drained soil. Keep moist but not wet.

Soil: Well-drained soil enriched with compost and/or well-rotted manure or organic pellets.

How to start: SEED: Sow direct in the ground or in punnets, into seed-raising mix. Sow one seed or 3-5 seeds per hole. Keep moist. Germinates in 7-10 days. SEEDLING: Plant in the ground when seedlings are 5-10cm+tall. Space 5-10cm apart, in rows 35-40cm apart. If 3-5 seeds were sown per hole, thin to three seedlings and allow them to grow together, spacing each cluster 10-15cm apart. NOTE: Shallot seeds are small - they can be mixed with sand or seed-raising mix prior to planting.

How to grow: Keep moist and mulch with straw along the rows. Apply seaweed solution monthly, but don't apply fertiliser. Avoid watering the leaves.

When to harvest: Start harvesting from 25 weeks, when the leaves start falling over. Harvest as required by loosening the soil with a garden fork. Shallots can be dried by hanging them in bunches or laying them on a wire rack out of the sun.

Troubleshooting: Aphids; thrips; rust; bolting