We have learned that there are onions and there are shallots. Onions are propagated by seed and shallots by dividing the clump of shallots and replanting the best. Shallots are not meant to flower (although some do throw up a flower scape once in a while, which we are taught to remove). Onions flower in their second year and produce seed.
So what on earth is the Giant Shallot I have? Started off as seed from a swap with a gardener in the USA. No variety name. I grew a few shallots. They weren't particularly big. I replanted year after year and their size has progressively increased to what is now a 'cooking onion' size, such as the onions sold in the 'value packs' at the supermarket. Very big for a shallot and on the small side for an onion. They store superbly well (photo was taken today).
Initially they all flowered, but after a few years many did not. Last year it was about half and half. I have grown them to seed in the past and they flowered and made seeds in the same year, unlike onions. They are fully winter hardy. Planting in October gives the earliest harvest.
This is just such a useful vegetable, grows much easier than onions which really don't do so well here, and keeps a long time too. I prefer to propagate from offsets and not from seed to encourage the 'shallot' habit. I select the largest and the best which haven't flowered. I get 5 or 6 shallots from one bulb, fewer than classic shallots, but a very good return. Initially after the single shallot from seed, they split into 2 and 3 only. Propagating them vegetatively seems to have increased the numbers as well as the size.
Is it a shallot? Is it an onion? Or is it something of an 'inbetween' like the Banana Shallots?
So what on earth is the Giant Shallot I have? Started off as seed from a swap with a gardener in the USA. No variety name. I grew a few shallots. They weren't particularly big. I replanted year after year and their size has progressively increased to what is now a 'cooking onion' size, such as the onions sold in the 'value packs' at the supermarket. Very big for a shallot and on the small side for an onion. They store superbly well (photo was taken today).
Initially they all flowered, but after a few years many did not. Last year it was about half and half. I have grown them to seed in the past and they flowered and made seeds in the same year, unlike onions. They are fully winter hardy. Planting in October gives the earliest harvest.
This is just such a useful vegetable, grows much easier than onions which really don't do so well here, and keeps a long time too. I prefer to propagate from offsets and not from seed to encourage the 'shallot' habit. I select the largest and the best which haven't flowered. I get 5 or 6 shallots from one bulb, fewer than classic shallots, but a very good return. Initially after the single shallot from seed, they split into 2 and 3 only. Propagating them vegetatively seems to have increased the numbers as well as the size.
Is it a shallot? Is it an onion? Or is it something of an 'inbetween' like the Banana Shallots?
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