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How to Grow Shallots | Care, Pests & Disease Control

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Shallot (Allium cepa Aggregatum Group)

A bowl of freshly harvested pink-brown shallots with dried necks. Photo: Kolforn, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

16 sources cited · Verified

The short answer

Ready in
90–120 days
Site
soil pH 6–7
Biggest risk
Allium white rot

In the UK, shallots are ready to harvest 90–120 days after planting.

Shallots (Allium cepa Aggregatum Group) — Hardy biennial grown as an annual.

This crop carries an unusually heavy problem load: 4 diseases, 3 pests and 0 nutrient issues are documented for it, so most of the effort in growing it well goes into prevention.

Core growing advice on this page is checked against named horticultural and university-extension sources — see References.

Diseases

Allium white rot
severe

Stromatinia cepivora (syn. Sclerotium cepivorum)

Covered by the RHS phrase "and other alliums"; shallot is Allium cepa Aggregatum Group.

Leek rust
cosmetic_to_moderate

Puccinia porri (syn. Puccinia allii)

Covered by "and other Allium species".

Onion downy mildew
moderate_to_severe

Peronospora destructor

RHS names shallots explicitly among affected hosts.

Onion neck rot
severe_in_storage

Botrytis allii

RHS: affects "Onions and shallots (occasionally garlic)".

Pests

Leek moth
moderate

Acrolepiopsis assectella

RHS: affects "Leek, onion, shallot, garlic".

Onion fly
high_at_seedling_stage

Delia antiqua

RHS onion fly page: affects "Onion, shallots, and leeks".

Allium leaf miner
high

Phytomyza gymnostoma

RHS: affects "Leeks, onion, chives, shallot and garlic".

Quick Facts

Factor Value
Soil pH 6 - 7
Optimal growing temp 20-25C
Minimum survivable temp -5C
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. Shallots tolerate frost, and some varieties are planted in autumn or winter to overwinter in UK gardens.
Edible parts bulbs

At a Glance

Allium cepa Aggregatum… Shallot Allium white rot Leek rust Onion downy mildew Onion neck rot Leek moth Onion fly Allium leaf miner DISEASES PESTS

Soil & Growing Conditions

Shallot plants growing in the ground, with the reddish set visible at the base — "Shallot plant (Allium cepa var. aggregatum)" by Victor M. Vicente Selvas is licensed under Public domain. Source: Wikimedia Commons
“Shallot plant (Allium cepa var. aggregatum)” by Victor M. Vicente Selvas is licensed under Public domain. Source: Wikimedia Commons.

Water: RHS: shallots "don't generally need watering except in prolonged dry spells in early summer"; "Avoid watering once the bulbs have swollen in mid-summer".

Soil pH range

6 7

Span reflects genuine variation between the cited authorities, not a single agreed figure.

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

Just-lifted shallots with soil and roots still attached — "Fresh from the dirt" by terri_bateman is licensed under CC0. Source: Wikimedia Commons
“Fresh from the dirt” by terri_bateman is licensed under CC0. Source: Wikimedia Commons.

When to pick: RHS: lift shallots when the "foliage turns yellow and flops over". OMAFRA distinguishes green shallots, harvested at 30 to 60 days, from mature bulbs at 90 to 120 days.

Storage

RHS: "Lay them out in a single layer on wire racks or slatted trays", then "place the bulbs in net bags or trays in a single layer"; they keep "at least six to eight months". OMAFRA: "Store shallots at temperatures of 0–2°C and 60%–70% relative humidity"; with good air flow and humidity control "shallots should store for 8–10 months".

Companion Planting

avoid shared disease

Allium cepa

Both crops are documented hosts of Allium white rot and Onion downy mildew. These pathogens persist in soil for many years -- RHS gives up to 20 years for club root resting spores, at least 15 years for allium white rot sclerotia, and advises a five-year gap before replanting onions or shallots…

avoid shared disease

Allium ampeloprasum var. porrum

Both crops are documented hosts of Allium white rot. These pathogens persist in soil for many years -- RHS gives up to 20 years for club root resting spores, at least 15 years for allium white rot sclerotia, and advises a five-year gap before replanting onions or shallots after downy mildew -- so…

avoid shared disease

Allium sativum

Both crops are documented hosts of Allium white rot and Onion downy mildew. These pathogens persist in soil for many years -- RHS gives up to 20 years for club root resting spores, at least 15 years for allium white rot sclerotia, and advises a five-year gap before replanting onions or shallots…

avoid shared disease

Allium fistulosum

Both crops are documented hosts of Onion downy mildew. These pathogens persist in soil for many years -- RHS gives up to 20 years for club root resting spores, at least 15 years for allium white rot sclerotia, and advises a five-year gap before replanting onions or shallots after downy mildew --…

References

  1. Tier 1. US extension source for the warm Southeast: shallot bulbs are planted in fall for winter and spring harvest, spaced 6-8 in apart in the row with sets 1-2 in deep; harvest as green onions 60 days after planting, or as dry bulbs in late spring once tops have died down completely; cure a week in a warm dry place and store in mesh bags. Shallot bulbs often develop on top of the ground and should not be covered with soil. Allium soil pH 6.2-6.5.

  2. country=INTL

  3. country=International

  4. country=Canada

  5. Tier 1. US extension source for the cold continental Midwest, and the counterweight to Clemson: shallot sets are planted in SPRING and green tops harvested once 6-8 in tall; bulbs "are not reliably hardy to many parts of Iowa", so they are dug when the foliage dies back and stored indoors over winter until replanting in spring. Shallots and potato onions are both Allium cepa var. aggregatum, differing in bulb size.

  6. Qualitative only: southern/coastal last air frost often before end of April; further north well into May, in a few places into June. No numeric per-region frost dates published here.

  7. country=UK

  8. country=UK

  9. country=UK

  10. country=UK

  11. country=UK

  12. country=UK

  13. country=UK

  14. country=UK

  15. country=US

  16. country=USA

16 independent sources are cited for this crop. Where they disagree - soil pH is the clearest case - every figure is preserved rather than averaged into false precision.

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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SoilCommander Editorial Team

Science-based growing guides · Thresholds that hold in any climate

This guide states the conditions the plant itself responds to — soil temperature, frost tolerance, day length — rather than dates, because the same calendar month means opposite seasons in the northern and southern hemispheres. Anything genuinely restricted to one part of the world is named as such rather than presented as universal. Written and maintained by our editorial team against international horticultural research and extension sources.

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Last verified 2026-08-06

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