How to Grow Shallots
On this page
Whether shallots are planted in autumn or spring depends on climate, not the calendar: where winters are mild the bulbs can overwinter from an autumn planting, but where frost is harsh enough to kill them, sets are planted in spring instead and lifted before winter for indoor storage. Judge by your own winter's severity, not a fixed date.
The short answer
- Ready in
- 90–120 days
- Site
- soil pH 6–7
- Biggest risk
- Allium white rot
Core growing advice on this page is checked against named horticultural sources — see References.
Shallot (Allium cepa Aggregatum Group)
16 sources cited · Verified
Quick Facts
| Factor | Value |
|---|---|
| Soil pH | 6 - 7 |
| Optimal growing temp | 20-25°C |
| Minimum survivable temp | -5°C |
| Time to harvest | 90-120 days |
| Drainage | RHS: "fertile, well-drained soil" in a sunny site; avoid "damp soil" and "heavy soil prone to waterlogging". |
| Lifecycle | Hardy biennial grown as an annual. The cluster of bulbs is harvested in the first season; plants would flower and set seed only in a second year after cold exposure. |
| Edible parts | bulbs |
| Documented problems | 4 diseases, 3 pests |
At a Glance
Diseases
Pests
Soil & Growing Conditions
Growth Stages
| Stage | BBCH | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Planting & Establishment | 0 | Shallots are usually grown from heat-treated sets. PLANTING DEPTH & SPACING: push each set into soft, firmed soil so the tip is just showing at the surface, spacing them 15-20cm (6-8in) apart in rows 25-30cm (10-12in) apart (RHS). From seed, sow in drills 1.5cm (half inch) deep with rows about 25cm (10in) apart, thinning seedlings to 10cm (4in). TIMING: plant sets from early to mid-spring; some varieties can be planted in autumn or even winter to overwinter, but avoid autumn/winter planting on heavy, waterlogged soil where the bulbs may rot. Choose an open, sunny site on fertile, free-draining ground. Birds often tug newly planted sets out by the withered tops, so check and re-firm any that lift. |
| Leaf Growth & Clump Formation | 3 | Each set multiplies, sending up a clump of slender leaves as it begins to divide into a cluster of bulbs. Keep the bed regularly weeded - shallot foliage casts little shade and competes poorly with weeds - taking care not to disturb the shallow roots. Water only in prolonged dry spells in early summer (and container plants more often); established plants in the ground rarely need it. If any flower stems appear, pull or cut them out at once so the plant puts its energy into forming bulbs rather than seed. |
| Bulb Development (Bulbing) | 7 | Through early to mid-summer the clump swells into a cluster of new bulbs. Ease off watering as the bulbs enlarge and STOP watering once the bulbs have swollen in mid-summer, so the skins firm and the shallots store well. Keep weeding lightly and remove any late flower stems. No feeding is usually needed if the soil was enriched before planting. |
| Ripening, Harvest & Curing | 8 | The crop is ready in mid- to late summer, once the leaves flop over and start to die back. On a dry day, ease each cluster up with a hand fork and gently separate the bulbs, taking care not to bruise them. Dry (cure) the bulbs for about two weeks on wire racks in the sun or in a warm, well-ventilated shed until the skins are papery and the necks fully dry. Store only perfect, undamaged bulbs in net bags or trays in a single layer somewhere light, cool, dry and airy; well-cured shallots keep for at least six to eight months. Save a few of the best bulbs to replant next season. |
Harvest & Storage
Companion Planting
Shallots, Set to Store
Plan your Shallots planting
Timing for Shallots follows soil temperature and frost, not the calendar date. The Global vegetable planting calendar explains the method. To work out where it fits in your beds, sketch your plot in the free Garden Layout Planner.
Growing Shallot in another region
Sowing dates, frost timing and local advice differ by country. Use the guide for where you garden.
Sources
These 3 sources are specific to this region. The full list of 16 sources behind this guide (Clemson Cooperative Extension, FAO EcoCrop, Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) and others) is in the references of our UK guide to shallots; they describe the plant itself, which is the same wherever it grows.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long do shallots take to grow?
Typically 90–120 days, depending on cultivar and growing conditions.
What soil pH do shallots need?
A pH of about 6–7. That span reflects genuine variation between the authorities we cite rather than a single agreed figure — the References section lists each source's exact range.
What problems affect shallots?
Our data links 4 diseases and 3 pests to this crop. See the sections above for each one and how to manage it.
Plan next season before the problems start
This page gives you the thresholds; the planner turns them into your own calendar. It works from what you can observe and measure in your garden rather than from dates written for somebody else’s latitude.
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How this guide is put together
The growing data on this page — sowing windows, pests, diseases, soil and site requirements — comes from named horticultural sources, listed in References below, checked against international horticultural research and extension sources. An automated pipeline assembles that verified data into the page you're reading: it selects which facts to lead with and builds the surrounding prose and layout. It does not invent a date, a source or a number — where a verified value for a field isn't available, the page leaves it out rather than guessing. A person reviews and publishes each page; nothing goes live unverified.
Last verified 2026-08-06
Where To Go From Here
Take this crop from reading into a written plan for your own beds.
Keep going
Plan the next step
Use the printable SoilCommander planner for your region to turn this guide into sowing dates, bed layouts and weekly garden tasks.