When to plant shallots in La Grande, OR

Soil and feeding

Shallots grow best in loose, well-drained soil with plenty of compost. Heavy, soggy soil rots bulbs over a wet Northwest winter, so raised beds help west of the Cascades. Feed with a little nitrogen in early spring when growth resumes, and stop by late spring. Once bulbs start forming, extra nitrogen just delays them and hurts storage.

Keep beds weeded. Shallots have thin, upright leaves that can't shade out competition, and weeds steal water and nutrients from the forming cluster.

Pests and diseases

Onion maggots, the larvae of a small fly, tunnel into bulbs in cool, wet soil. Rotating to a new spot each year and covering spring plantings with row cover help. Rust shows up as orange spots on leaves in damp weather but usually doesn't hurt the harvest much.

White rot is the serious one: a white fuzzy rot at the base with tiny black specks. It lives in soil for many years, so never plant onion-family crops in an infected spot again, and only plant clean bulbs from a trusted source.

Harvest and storage

Dig shallots when most of the tops have yellowed and fallen over, usually early to midsummer. Lift the clusters gently, shake off soil and leave the tops on while they cure in a dry, shady, airy place for about two weeks. Then trim the tops and roots, separate the bulbs, and store them in a mesh bag in a cool, dry spot. Well-cured shallots often keep longer than onions. Save some of the best, firmest bulbs to replant in fall.