shallots

[fen not fen]

Can I use the remains of last year's shallot crop to replant and grow more shallots? I guess there is a risk of viruses etc, but will they crop, or will they just run to flower?

[Johnboy]

Hi Fen,
Generally speaking if last years Shallots are sound there is not a not wrong with them. This is of course not foolproof but very close.
I had a strain of Shallots for many many years and one year they simply shrivelled and died. By now any real difficulties would have shown up and I would say that it is safe to plant them.

[sue-the-recycler]

I'm going to try shallots in some of the hundreds of the slightly smaller supermarket cut flower display pots I have this year (I use the larger ones for potatoes). 1 per pot seems reasonable - anyone have any suggestion as to the best 'mix' of compost/soil I should use?

[Chez]

Hello Fen

We did just this last year, with leftover Red Sun shallots from the previous year. We had a great crop off them - no difference between those and the new season's ones we grew alongside. Not a single one ran to flower. We were so impressed we will be doing the same again this year. I would say go ahead - I am sure you will be pleased with the results.

[fen not fen]

I'll sort out the decent ones and save myself a few quid..as well as knowing this year's shallots will be as delicious as last years.

[Ian F]

I have used saved shallots for a number of years now, with good results.

If you select the better ones I think that you can build up a strain that suits your soil. There is a fancy word for this, which I cannot remember.

I bought some Mikor shallots from Fothergills this year, and frankly I was disapointed with the quality - variable size/small bulbs. I sahgll try to keep all my own in future.

[pigletwillie]

I grew prisma shallots from seed last year and they grew into individual golf ball sized shallots which were excellent. I have sown some more this year but have also set aside some shallots to regrow to see how they compare.