How and When to Plant Shallots in the Garden

Shallots are understated both in the kitchen and in the garden. With flavors similar to a cross between garlic and onions, these small alliums pack an immense amount of flavor and add depth to any dish. There are multiple types available, and shallots are easy to grow.

These cool-season crops grow best when planted in early spring or in late fall, but exactly when depends on multiple factors, including your region. Like regular onions, they need a few months in the garden to develop their bulbs, which they can do over the course of the summer or throughout winter.

Unlike most crops that you start from seed, gardeners usually purchase “sets,” though you can try your hand at starting from seed, too. Sets are more convenient, but seeds give you more control over the process.

We’ve assembled everything you need to know about how and when to plant shallots in the garden, including the technique and timing for both growing shallot sets and starting them from seed.

Zebrune Shallot Onion Seeds

• Sweet and Mild Flavor Profile
• Large and Easy to Peel
• Unique Appearance
• Resilience in Warm Climates
• Culinary Versatility

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Know Your Shallots

Before you get started planning how and when to plant shallots, it’s good to have a foundational understanding of what they are. These alliums are a cultivar group of onions, so gardeners grow them in a very similar way.

They have much more in common with onions than garlic and are technically onions, even though they’re small. There are typically three major types: French, Jersey, and banana (or echalion).

French red shallots are the most common variety sold in stores. They have a versatile and creamy flavor. Because of their small size, you may think it’s a good idea to plant the bulbs that you see at the grocery store.

While you certainly could try this, planting grocery store bulbs is not advised. Those from the store are expensive, they’ve potentially been sprayed with growth regulators, and they don’t come with the peace of mind of purchasing sets from a certified retailer.

Choose The Right Location and Soil

When it comes to how to plant, one of the most important factors is that you choose the right location. You want to find a spot that receives the correct amount of sunlight and also contains soil with the right composition.

Shallots grow best in full sun exposure, which means at least six hours of direct sunlight per day. If you’re looking for a spot in fall, don’t forget that the days will keep getting shorter. Pick a location that gets enough light now and will continue to receive that much light into winter.

Soil composition is very important when preparing a spot. The soil should be loose and well-draining but still hold some moisture. These alliums also prefer a neutral pH level, so amend the soil in one direction or the other if it’s acidic or alkaline.

Space Properly

Now that you have the right spot, use a garden fork to work the soil about half a foot deep. This is also a great time to add in compost if you have it. You want the soil to be light and fluffy.

Map out rows that are each about one foot from each other. Within each row, plant with six inches in between each. Aim them so that the roots point down, and each bulb should be about 1 to 2 inches deep. Water in the newly planted shallots.

If you’ve sown your seeds indoors in anticipation of spring planting, transplant them outdoors into the garden in the same method described above.

If you’re direct seeding, plant the seeds with about ½ inch in between each, at a depth of about ¼ inch. Keep the soil moist until they germinate. This process usually takes about one to two weeks. Thin them so that there are about four inches between each.

It’s especially important in fall to cover shallots with a couple inches of soil. In fact, you should further cover them with about four inches of mulch for protection. You can remove some of the mulch in late winter, once snow is behind you, making it easier for shoots to emerge.

When to Plant

When it comes to planting, you have two options. You can start from sets (which are basically young bulbs), or you can start from seeds. Just like you can buy seeds from reputable companies, you can buy sets, too. A single set will multiply into multiple bulbs. 

Starting from sets gives you a jump start on the process. If you struggle with germination or just want to skip a step, then sets are your answer. 

Depending on your zone, you can plant them in either early spring or late fall. In particularly cold climates, there usually isn’t enough time in late fall for shallots to develop before it gets too cold for them to survive.

Gardeners in USDA hardiness zones 5 through 8 have mild enough seasons to plant them in late fall, while those in cooler zones should stick with spring planting. (These small onions don’t grow well regardless of season in zones much warmer than zone 8.)

Spring Planting

For spring planting, get sets in the ground a couple of weeks before the last frost or as soon as you can work with the ground outside. They should be ready for you to harvest in late summer, about 100 to 120 days later, depending on the variety.

Spring planting tends to produce more uniform shallots, as opposed to their fall counterparts. In the fall, growth is more likely to start and stop depending on the weather, whereas the weather is more consistent in spring and summer.

Some say those grown in spring are also more mild. Of course, whether a mild or a spicier shallot is superior is a matter of personal taste, but it’s definitely something to keep in mind when deciding when to plant.

Fall Planting

For fall planting, get sets in the ground a couple of weeks after your first frost. In many zones this means October or November, though in cold regions who are trying to make fall planting work, you may need to start as early as September.

Fall-planted crops should also be ready in about 100 to 120 days, which typically translates to early summer. 

When to Start Seeds

You may also want to start from seeds. There are multiple reasons why you might choose this path. Seeds are usually more affordable than sets, and if you saved seeds on your own from a previous crop, they’d be free.

Starting from seed also gives you more control over the entire process. If you start from sets, you can’t say with 100 percent certainty what the sets have been through prior to arriving in your garden.

For example, though unlikely, it’s possible that sets are infected with disease or could otherwise be carrying plant pathogens with them. If you start from seed yourself, their health is completely in your hands.

That said, starting from seeds does require more planning, time, and work. To start from seed for spring planting, start your seeds indoors about 8 to 10 weeks before the last frost. Then, you’ll transplant them about two weeks before the last frost date.

If starting indoors, fill seed starting trays with a good quality seed starting mix. Sprinkle about four or five seeds into each cell and cover lightly with more mix. Keep the mix moist until germination occurs, which should take a little over a week. Then, thin seedlings to about three per cell.

‘Zebrune’ shallot seeds are popular due to their high germination rate. You can use this cultivar as an interchangeable ingredient for onions in the kitchen, so it’s a versatile option for the garden.