Shallots

01 About

Shallots have a sweeter, more complex flavour than onions — the chef's allium of choice. Grown from sets just like onions, each set multiplies into a cluster of 8–12 new bulbs through the season.

02 What to Grow

Shallots are usually grown from sets, which are reliable, quick and well suited to UK kitchen gardens. Choose round golden types for dependable storage, red types for colour and flavour, and longer banana shallots for slicing and cooking. A small mix of varieties gives a longer harvest window and better choice in the kitchen. Avoid soft or sprouting sets before planting.

03 Varieties

The number of varieties shown for each crop is based on UK consumption data (2025/26) — the more popular the crop, the more variety choices we include.

🧅 Golden Storage Shallots

Round golden types for dependable storage and general kitchen use. The most widely grown group in UK gardens.

Golden Gourmet

Round golden · Sets

A dependable golden shallot with good flavour and useful storage quality. One of the most reliable UK varieties from sets.

• Beginners
• Stores well

Topper

Round golden · Sets

A productive round shallot suited to UK outdoor growing and general kitchen use. Good yields and reliable keeper.

• Productive
• Good keeper

Pikant

Golden-brown · Sets

A neat shallot with a stronger flavour and good all-round garden performance. Popular for its compact size and storage.

• ⭐ Flavour
• Storage

🔴 Red & Pink Shallots

Red and pink-skinned varieties with richer colour and a mild, sweet flavour. Good for fresh use and pickling.

Red Dutch

Red · Sets

A red-skinned shallot with attractive colour and a rich savoury flavour. Very popular for fresh eating and cooking.

• ⭐ Flavour
• Red skin

Red Sun

Red · Sets

A popular red shallot producing good clusters of rounded bulbs. Mild, sweet flavour and striking colour.

• Colour
• Reliable

Mikor

Pink-brown · Sets

A French-style shallot with elongated bulbs and excellent kitchen quality. Aromatic with good slicing shape.

• Aromatic
• Long type

🍌 Long & Banana Shallots

Elongated banana-type shallots valued for easy preparation and fine flavour. The chef's favourite.

Jermor

Long · Sets

A classic long shallot with coppery skin, fine flavour and good slicing shape. A kitchen garden staple.

• ⭐ Flavour
• Long bulb

Longor

Banana · Sets

A long, easy-to-prepare shallot valued for cooking and slicing. Dependable and widely available as sets.

• AGM
• Easy prep
• Cooking

Zebrune

Banana · Seed or Sets

An elongated shallot with attractive bulbs, often grown from seed. Excellent flavour for fresh use and sauces.

• AGM
• ⭐ Flavour
• Distinctive

04 Where to Source

Buy firm shallot sets in late winter or early spring, either by post or from local garden retailers. Choose clean, healthy sets with no mould, soft patches or damage.

📬 Seeds by Post

Postal ordering gives a wide choice of shallot sets before the main planting season. Order early so sets arrive firm and ready for planting.

🏪 Garden Centres

Local garden centres usually stock shallot sets from late winter. Pick through packs carefully and choose clean, solid bulbs.

05 Planting Options

🌿 Open Ground

Push each set into fertile, sunny, free-draining soil with the tip just showing above the surface. Keep the bed weed-free while clusters form.

Suitable varieties: Best for larger crops and long-term storage shallots.

🪵 Raised Bed

Raised beds warm and drain earlier than open soil, making them very useful for shallots. They also make spacing, weeding and harvesting easier.

Suitable varieties: Best for heavy soils, smaller gardens and neat kitchen garden layouts.

06 Companion Planting

✅ Grow nearby

• 

  🥕 Carrots

  Shallots and carrots make excellent companions — shallot scent deters carrot fly while carrot scent may deter onion fly. A classic interplanting combination for mutual pest protection.

• 

  🥬 Lettuce

  Lettuce can be grown between shallot rows as a catch crop, making use of the space during the long shallot growing season. Both prefer similar cool, moist conditions.

• 

  🌼 Chamomile

  Chamomile grown near shallots is said to improve their growth and flavour. Its aromatic compounds may also help deter some common allium pests.

❌ Keep apart

• 🫘 Peas & Beans — Alliums inhibit the growth of legumes when planted in close proximity. Keep shallots well away from all pea and bean crops.
• 🌿 Asparagus — Shallots and asparagus compete for nutrients in the same bed. Asparagus is a long-term perennial — keep alliums out of its permanent bed.

07 Sowing — How To

Shallots are normally planted as sets rather than raised in a propagator. Plant them outdoors once the soil is workable, with only the tips showing above the surface.

1. 

   Prepare the bed

   Choose a sunny, open position and work the soil to a fine, crumbly texture. Remove weeds and avoid freshly manured ground.

2. 

   Improve drainage

   Add garden compost if needed, but keep the soil free-draining. Shallots dislike sitting in cold, wet soil.

3. 

   Plant the sets

   Push each set gently into the soil with the pointed tip upwards. Leave the tip just visible above the surface.

4. 

   Space in rows

   Allow enough room for each set to split into a cluster. Keep rows open so weeding is easy.

5. 

   Water and protect

   Water after planting if the soil is dry. Use netting if birds pull the sets from the ground.

6. 

   Harvest and dry

   Lift clusters when the leaves yellow and bend over. Dry them well before storage.

Regional sowing timing

Region	Sow / plant	Harvest	Notes
Scotland & Far North	Mar–Apr	Jul–Aug	Wait until soil is workable and not waterlogged · Mar–Apr (sets)
Northern England	Feb–Apr	Jul–Aug	Plant later on cold or heavy soils · Feb–Apr (sets)
Midlands & Wales	Feb–Mar	Jul–Aug	Good drainage is more important than early planting · Feb–Mar (sets)
Ireland & Isle of Man	Feb–Apr	Jul–Aug	Avoid very wet soil and exposed sites · Feb–Apr (sets)
South & SE England	Jan–Mar	Jul–Aug	Early planting is possible where soil drains well · Jan–Mar (sets)
South Coast & SW	Jan–Mar	Jul–Aug	Mild areas can plant early, but avoid saturated ground · Jan–Mar (sets)

08 Using a Propagator

Shallots are planted as sets, not raised in a heated propagator. They are best started directly in the soil once outdoor conditions are suitable.

09 Soil Requirements

pH

6.0–7.0

Best

Sandy loam, Loam

Tolerates

Loam

Avoid

Waterlogged, Heavy clay, Freshly manured

10 Ongoing Care

💧 Watering

Water in dry spells during the growing season, but reduce watering once bulbs begin to swell in early summer. Excess moisture promotes soft bulbs that store poorly. Stop watering completely when foliage begins to yellow and flop. Good drainage matters more than regular watering for shallots.

🌿 Weeding

Keep the bed weed-free throughout the growing season — shallots are poor competitors. Hoe carefully between rows without disturbing the shallow roots. Hand weed close to the developing clumps. Weed competition significantly reduces both yield and bulb size.

🧅 Harvesting

Harvest when the foliage turns yellow and flops — typically July. Lift the whole clump with a fork on a dry day. Separate the individual bulbs and lay on a dry surface or greenhouse staging to ripen. Leave for 3–4 weeks until the outer skins are dry and papery before storing.

🏪 Storing

Store shallots in nets or rope them into bunches in a cool, dry, well-ventilated frost-free place. Well-dried shallots will keep until the following spring. Select the best-formed, firmest bulbs for replanting as sets the following year.

11 Watch Out For

🐛 Insects & pests

• 🐌 Slugs & Snails — Silver slime trails on leaves, soil, and pots — often the first sign before damage is found
• 🐜 Aphids (Blackfly & Greenfly) — Curled, distorted, or stunted growing tips — aphids inject saliva that causes leaf curl to protect them

🍄 Diseases to watch

• 🧅 Allium White Rot — Allium white rot (Sclerotium cepivorum) is one of the most persistent and devastating soil-borne diseases in UK gardens. The sclerotia (resting bodies) persist in soil for up to 20 years, and are stimulated to germinate specifically by the scent of growing alliums. Once present, a bed is effectively lost for all allium crops for a generation.
• 🔵 Downy Mildew — Downy mildew is caused by oomycetes (water moulds) and is completely unrelated to powdery mildew despite the similar name. It thrives in cool, wet, humid conditions and is most damaging in spring and autumn. Each host plant has its own specific downy mildew species. Lettuce downy mildew can destroy an entire bed within days in the right conditions.

Full identification and treatment advice is in the Pests and Diseases sections.

12 Storage & Preserving

🧺 Cool & Dry

Store fully dried shallots in trays, nets or shallow boxes in a cool, dry, airy place. Check regularly and remove any that soften.

☀️ Dry First

After lifting, dry shallots in the sun if weather allows, or under cover with good airflow. Do not store them until the skins are papery.

🫙 Pickled

Small firm shallots are excellent for pickling. Use sound bulbs and prepare them soon after curing for best texture.

13 Expert Tips

14 Common Mistakes

15 See Also

• 🌼 Companion Planting
• 🔄 Crop Rotation