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market-farming - Re: [Market-farming] Shallots

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  • From: road's end farm <organic101 AT linkny.com>
  • To: Market Farming <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Shallots
  • Date: Tue, 27 Jun 2006 16:13:40 -0400


On Jun 27, 2006, at 7:27 AM, logrock wrote:

<x-tad-smaller>Thanks--very informative as usual!</x-tad-smaller>
 
<x-tad-smaller>I do not remember where, but I read that (right the opposite of garlic) to get bigger shallots, plant the smallest set, but apparently that is not the case. Supposedly this was because a larger set would start dividing quicker, and you would end up with smaller shallots.  
</x-tad-smaller>

I didn't know any better than to plant the big ones, as if they were garlic; and it seems to be working as they're much bigger now than the ones that I started with. I think the size increase has about stopped, now size seems to have more to do with weather; maybe they're as big as they're going to get from selection.

With onions, you don't want too big an onion set (unless you're trying to grow seed), or the plant will go to seed instead of putting energy into a bigger bulb. Maybe that's what you were thinking of?

<x-tad-smaller>Mine seem to divide too much regardless of the size of the set.  We are in zone 7 (NW Georgia) and I do planted in the fall, within days of planting the garlic.  I have already harvested most of the garlic, but the shallot tops are still mostly green. 
</x-tad-smaller>

Shallots here ripen later than the garlic. There's more leeway in the harvesting, more like onions; you can take them as soon as they're big enough for you, or leave them all the way till the tops are dry; it doesn't seem to make them overmature, as leaving garlic that long would do. I start taking some for market when the size is good, and leave the rest till tops are dying down.

<x-tad-smaller>The ones I have pulled had a good flavor and color, but what I hope will be one large shallot ends up being two or three when I peel it. 
</x-tad-smaller>

I don't know what causes this either; either in shallots or double cloves in garlic; anybody on this list know?
<x-tad-smaller>
</x-tad-smaller>


-- Rivka; Finger Lakes NY, Zone 5 mostly (where it's raining again. Where it's raining too much, again.)
Fresh-market organic produce, small scale



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