Shallots in pots

[Sue]

I'm considering this because my allotment is so wet still this year and I am on clay anyway, so shallots don't always do that well for me.

Has anyone else found it really helps or am I just as well to let the ground dry and plant them later

Sue

[Weed]

Hi Sue

I start my onion sets and shallots off in a seed tray each year..they are already cosily tucked up in their trays in the greenhouse... the shallots are starting to shoot

This means that I can plant out slightly later with a root system already in place...the pesky birds can't pull them out plus I can see where they are.

[Chantal]

Hi Sue

I'm with Weed, I've done this for years.

Initially it was because I was planting in my garden and my cats regularly dug them up, but it worked so well I've just carried on with the practice.

[alan refail]

I'm with you both, Weed & Chantal. I have started my shallots in trays for years now (mid to end of January). Plant out when they have good roots and green tops about 3 to 4 inches tall. Always works for me. The real problem with growing them on in containers would be the watering.

[Beryl]

Me too - onion sets also do very well started off in trays or modules.

Beryl.

[John]

I use rootrainers for this. Shallots and onions have long brittle roots and the 5" trainers (Sherwood?) are ideal for them.

John

[Sue]

Thanks all - I was unsure whether there was any real benefit to this, but I reckon I will give it a go this weekend.

Sue

[oldherbaceous]

Well i have never tried this with Shallots before, so i'm going to try some and compare them with my normal planted ones.

[Johnboy]

Hi Sue,
Apart from Carrots just about everything else I grow is bench raised. I have, like the others, been doing this for years and there are very many advantages but I suppose the best is Vermin control. Take Peas and Beans, if I sowed these direct it would be just feeding the mice. As an experiment I grew some Shallots in 2 Litre black pots the other year and when established I simply put them outside along the path. The size of the crop was about the same but the weight was way down.
JB.

[Di]

I saw this tip in the mag and put a few shallots in a tray a fortnight ago, they are beginning to root and sprout.
However i was wondering if I'd put them too close together.

What spacing do you all use?

I'm just washing out my infinite number of 3" pots with the intention of starting more of them off,

Do I need to fill the pots or will 2/3 do as its just a tempory measure?

thankee

[Chantal]

Hello Di

I put mine into trays with individual cells so spacing isn't an issue. This also prevents to roots becoming tangled and damaged.

In pots I find that 3/4 full will do, but however much compost there is the roots will fill the space so I guess the more compost the more roots.

[Di]

Thanks Chantal, I'll fill the pots and try to use them instead of trays - it was a matter of what was to hand, but I can see the logic for keeping them seperate.

[penny]

Hello Everyone
Thanks for this advice on shallots - I have now some little pots of shallots. My new allotment was a Christmas present and we are battling the brambles and couch grass in an attempt to get some planting areas ready for March. We have planted some fruit canes and trees.
Do I get the impression that you seasoned gardeners raise most things inside first? I do have a unheated greenhouse so I could proabably do so.
Is there anything that you would put in the ground now? Maybe garlic/onions?

Forum is very encouraging for a new starter. Penny

[Monika]

We certainly start almost everything off in pots, trays or root trainers in the cold greenhouse, the only exceptions I can think of are potatoes (obviously!), radish, spring onions, cut-and-come-again salads and carrots. I have found that even beetroot does better started off in pots and overall one has much more control over the germination of seeds and thinning out. All peas, broad beans, French beans and runner beans are started in the greenhouse.

By the way, there is no need to have masses of pots etc because many are used several times in a season. I supposed the only drawback is the cost of seed/potting compost which we do buy in and not make ourselves.

[penny]

penny