How to Grow Shallots: A Complete Organic Growing Guide

Have you ever heard of the onion’s bougie cousin, the shallot? These delicate alliums look like small elongated onion bulbs, but with their own wonderful, unique flavor- almost like a sweet onion-garlic hybrid.

Shallots can be overwintered in the soil to harvest the following year as multiple shallots, much like garlic, or grown by seed and harvested the first year, much like onions. They are highly prized by chefs for their exceptional flavor, have an excellent storage life, and bring top dollar at farmers' markets. 

Now’s a great time to learn how to grow shallots from seed or sets so you can enjoy them fresh from your own garden! 

All In The Allium Family

The Allium family includes more than just the striking, ornamental Allium flowers known for their deep purple spherical flower heads. It also includes a number of familiar vegetables common in everyday meals, including garlic, onions, leeks, chives, scallions, and shallots! 

If you’re ready to start growing these culinary favorites at home, here are some more of our popular growing guides to help you learn how to grow garlic, the best types of garlic to grow at home, how to grow onions, when to harvest onions, and how to grow Egyptian walking onions. (Plus, learn how to grow beautiful allium flowers from bulbs!)

Types of Shallots

There are two different options between shallot varieties (much like hardneck and softneck garlic) and these are traditional shallots and banana shallots. The difference is slight, but still important to mention. 

The traditional shallot has a smaller bulb that will multiply into 6 or 7 more bulbs. Whereas a banana shallot is a cross between a shallot and an onion. Banana shallots have a more elongated shape and yield fewer but larger bulbs, usually 3 to 5.

When to Plant Shallots

The best time to plant shallots depends on whether you are starting from seed or sets. Shallot seeds should be started in the early spring, much like any other onion crop.

I typically start my onion and shallot seeds indoors in February about 10 to 12 weeks before my last estimated spring frost. You need to start them this early or they will not have enough time to get established and grow, which ultimately means you will only harvest little mini bulbs.

When you are planting shallot sets, they need to be planted in the fall, a little later than when you would plant garlic. Those sets will sit dormant until spring, and when they come out of dormancy, they will divide (much like garlic) into multiple bulbs. When you harvest the multiplied bulbs, you can consume them or use them as sets to replant in the fall.

How to Grow Shallots From Sets

You can grow shallots in containers! Make sure that you use a quality potting mix that is loose and well-draining, but that will still hold onto enough moisture. If any type of onion crop dehydrates, you will end up with shriveled bulbs that aren’t fully developed.

Whether you are growing shallots from sets or seeds, having the right soil matters a ton because they are also very prone to rotting just like onions and leeks from too much moisture! Follow this step-by-step guide to successfully plant shallot sets:

1. Sunlight - Choose a planting location that gets plenty of sunlight. Remember roots, shoots, and fruits need at least 5 to 7 hours of sunlight each day, so the more sun you give them, the better. I planted my shallots where they would receive 8 to 10 hours of sun.

2. Amend the Soil - Shallots need very loose, well-draining soil that still holds onto the right amount of moisture. That’s why I recommend covering your native soil with about 10-12 inches of pure finished compost to plant shallots in! Pro-Tip: If you don’t have compost available to you and will be planting shallots in your native soil, I recommend reading How to Improve Soil Drainage and amending the soil with at least some type of organic matter like grass clippings or broken down leaves.

3. Soil pH - Getting the soil pH right is also very important! Shallots prefer a pH of 6.0 to 6.8. Amend the soil with powdered or pelletized sulfur to correct pH and to prevent rot. I used about ¼ cup of pelletized sulfur for every 4-foot by 4-foot section.

4. Fertilizing at Time of Planting - You don’t want to use regular fertilizer on shallot sets in the fall because it will encourage green growth when the plant needs to focus on root development. Pro-Tip: If your soil needs phosphorus, you can use bone meal or MIgardener’s Bulb+ Fertilizer at this time. Bulb+ is formulated with the organic sulfur and phosphorus that bulbs and tubers need to encourage strong root development and protect them from rot and mold! Use it when planting all your bulbs and tubers like shallots, onions, garlic, potatoes, and even dahlias. 

5. Plant Spacing - Shallots need plenty of room to develop, like a large head of garlic would. Each shallot bulb should multiply into a cluster that is 4 to 5 inches in diameter, so plant them 6 to 8 inches apart to avoid crowding.

6. Planting Depth - Plant each shallot set below the soil level so that the little pointy top is just visible poking out from the soil. If you plant them too deep, the soil will compress around the bulb and you will end up with smaller bulbs come harvest.

7. Add Fertilizer in the Spring - When you see the tops beginning to form in the spring, top dress with around 2 Tablespoons of Trifecta+ fertilizer per plant and gently rake it into the very top of the soil. Avoid deep raking to prevent damaging the bulbs.

8. Watering - Water regularly when you can tell that the soil is drying out, especially in the absence of rain, but don’t waterlog them.

9. Mulching - Mulching around shallots is optional. There will be a lot of leaves formed from the multiple bulbs over the winter. Mulching could restrict airflow too much and cause problems if you planted your sets close together. If you planted the sets further apart, then mulching can be beneficial.

Planting Shallots From Seed

As I said, when spring planting shallots, you should start seeds indoors, much the same as you would start onion seeds. Then, transplant the seedlings outdoors after the last expected frost and when the temperatures stay consistently above freezing. 

Planting out shallot seedlings is a little different than planting out sets, so follow these instructions for planting shallot seedlings:

1. Sunlight - Choose a planting location that gets plenty of sunlight, a minimum of 5 to 7 hours per day.

2. Amend the Soil - Shallots need very loose, well-draining soil that still holds onto the right amount of moisture. Cover your native soil with about 10-12 inches of pure finished compost before planting.

3. Soil pH - Test the soil pH and amend if it is not in the ideal range of 6.0 to 6.8. Skip the pelletized sulfur for spring planting because these bulbs will not be overwintering. The bulb is way more resilient to rot during this time.

4. Plant Spacing - You don’t need to space them as far apart when planting seedlings! Ideally you only want about 2 to 3 inches between shallot seedlings because these shallots will only form one bulb in their first year, which will take up a lot less space than a cluster of bulbs.

5. Fertilizing - Sprinkle about 2 Tablespoons of Trifecta+ into each planting hole and mix it into the soil.

6. Planting - Plant one seedling in each hole.

7. Watering - Water thoroughly after planting. Keep the soil moist but not waterlogged by watering regularly, especially in the absence of rain.

8. Mulching - Mulching around shallots is optional. 

Pests That Affect Allium Crops

Whether it's onions, garlic, shallots, or leeks, there aren’t many pests that affect them. The only thing you might have to compete with are squirrels digging up your bulbs. 

If you’re wondering how to keep squirrels out of the garden, try laying chicken wire over the top of your crop until the leaves form. Once they get to this stage, the squirrels usually won’t bother them anymore.

When to Harvest Shallots

Your gourmet shallots are harvest ready when the leaves start to turn yellow or brown and fall over. This usually happens mid-summer around the same time garlic is ready to harvest.

To harvest shallots, grasp the leaves and gently lift them out of the soil. If they don’t come out easily, it is a sign that your soil was not adequately loose. In that case, use a garden fork or trowel to carefully loosen the soil around the bulbs before pulling them out by the stalk.