How to Grow Shallots

Sets vs seed: pick your trade-off

Sets (small immature bulbs) are the default: they are quicker, easier, and better suited to short or cool seasons, and each set produces a cluster of new bulbs. The RHS notes the downside — sets cost more and should be planted soon after purchase, and untreated sets can bolt; heat-treated sets reduce that risk.

Seed is much cheaper and less likely to bolt, but it grows more slowly, needs more early attention, and each seed makes just one bulb rather than a cluster.

The multiplication is real but depends on spacing and variety: Utah State Extension reports that bulbs planted at high density yield about one shallot per bulb, while wider spacing can produce clusters of 10 to 15; the RHS cites 'Longor' producing up to eight per set. Crowd them and you forfeit the multiplier.

Planting and season care

Plant in spring as soon as the ground can be worked; fall planting after the first frost is also possible for a late-spring harvest in milder areas. Set bulbs 1 to 2 inches deep and 3 to 6 inches apart (the RHS plants with the tip just showing, 6 to 8 inches apart in rows 10 to 12 inches apart). Sow seed a quarter to a half inch deep and thin to 2 to 4 inches.

Water to keep the root zone consistently moist, and side-dress nitrogen at about 30 and 60 days after planting — roughly half a pound per 100 square feet each time.

Then stop: Utah State Extension warns not to fertilize after mid-July, because late nitrogen reduces bulb size and storage quality. If you want scallion-style green onions, you can pull some plants at 50 to 60 days.

Harvest, curing, and storage

Bulbs are ready in mid to late summer when the foliage yellows and most of the tops have flopped over and started to die back. Lift the clusters gently and shake off soil rather than trimming anything yet.

Cure for one to two weeks — in the garden in dry weather, or on racks under cover if it is damp — until the bulbs are completely dry and the skins papery. Curing is what turns a harvest into a pantry crop.

Store cured bulbs in mesh bags or trays in a cool, dry, ventilated spot; Utah State Extension recommends 32 to 40°F, and the RHS says well-cured shallots keep at least six to eight months. Save a few healthy bulbs to replant as next year's sets.

Sources

Reviewed 2026-07-18. We cite university Extension, government, and established horticultural sources — and never invent pesticide rates or dangerous treatments.

• Utah State University Extension — How to Grow Shallots in Your Garden — Plant sets or seed in spring as soon as ground can be worked (fall planting possible); bulbs 1-2 inches deep, 3-6 inches apart; seed 1/4-1/2 inch deep thinned to 2-4 inches; each seed yields one bulb while wider-spaced sets can produce clusters of 10-15; nitrogen at 30 and 60 days (1/2 lb per 100 sq ft), none after mid-July; green tops at 50-60 days; harvest when most tops have fallen; cure 1-2 weeks until skins papery; store in mesh bags at 32-40°F.
• RHS — How to grow shallots — Each set produces a cluster of new bulbs whereas a seed produces just one; sets are easier/quicker and better for colder regions but cost more and heat-treated sets reduce bolting; seed is cheaper and less likely to bolt but slower; plant sets with tip just showing, 15-20cm (6-8in) apart in rows 25-30cm (10-12in) apart; harvest when leaves flop and foliage yellows; dry about two weeks on racks; store in net bags in a light, cool, dry, ventilated place for at least six to eight months.

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