Organic Dutch Red Shallot Bulbs

Dutch Red Shallot Bulbs are easy-to-grow with excellent long-term storage qualities! These sweet shallots add a tasty garlicky onion flavor to dishes.

Plant shallots in the fall or early spring for an early summer harvest. Bulbs multiply and sprout several green stalks per bulb! Dutch Red is a storage variety that can last a year or more with proper storage.

Note: Shallot Bulbs are packaged by weight. Each (1) unit weighs about .5 lbs and will yield about 8–10 shallots. 

Planting by Zones

Zones 9-10

• Shallots are a cool season crop in Zones 9 and 10. Like onions, shallots are day-length sensitive. Plant Dutch Red Shallot Bulbs in the fall through early spring for an early summer harvest.

Zones 2-8

• Sprout bulbs 5-8 weeks before the last frost and plant out when the threat of frost is gone.

Planting Shallot Bulbs

• In Zones 9 and 10, direct sow your shallots (the separated bulbs) into fertile, well-drained soil in full sun. 
• Separate individual cloves from the bulb. Direct sow in soil, about 8″ apart with the pointed end up (blunt end down) at a planting depth of 1-2″ into the ground. Soil should be well-worked, deeply watered, and debris-free. Cover with 1–2″ of finely sifted soil. Rows should be about 18″ apart to allow room for plant growth.

Growing Shallot Bulbs

• Shallots are easy to grow! They should be planted in an area of the garden that is out of the way (or not using up space for other seasonal crops) as they can take more than 100 days to mature.
• Mulching heavily around your plants will help with weed suppression and moisture retention.

Harvesting Shallots

• Take care not to harvest too early. Wait until early summer (late-June or early July) when the tops brown and fall over, that will be a signal of being ready for harvest.
• Properly cured and stored shallots can last a year or more! Place your untrimmed plants on screens or hang them somewhere sturdy to cure. For curing, a warm, dry location out of direct sun is best. Once the green tops have dried to a crisp, clip them off, then discard any soft or rotten bulbs and store the good ones somewhere dark and dry.

Growing Shallots in Containers

• Shallot bulbs are easy to plant in a container. Make sure your container is at least 20″ deep. Keep in mind containers will dry out faster because they have more surface area and less soil to hold onto moisture. Mulch heavily on the top layer of soil in the pot to keep the soil from drying out or heating up too much.

Southern California Pro-tips

• Mulch heavily around your plants to ensure the soil does not dry out or heat.

Companion Flowers/Crops

• Shallot bulbs are a long-term crop and should be planted in an area where other crops can be planted between or with them. We like growing our shallots next to quick-growing crops like radishes, lettuces, and beets. We harvest those crops 3–4 times before the shallots are ready.
• Shallots are a great crop to grow with garlic! Try our garlic varieties like Ivan, Duganski, Music, and others!

Additional Learning Resources

• New to starting crops from seeds? Please watch our Seed Starting Presentation to learn the basics!
• Learn about growing all our crops on our YouTube page!
• Having pest issues? Check out in-depth information of pests that can be an issue for shallots at the UC Integrated Pest Management site.