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A cluster of shallots on a wooden table
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When to plant shallots in Leavenworth, WA

Plant shallot bulbs in Leavenworth from Sep 25 – Oct 31. They root over winter and are ready to dig the next summer. You can also plant them as early in spring as the soil can be worked.

Easy Plant bulbs

Why these dates

Like garlic, shallots size up best after a winter in the ground, so in most of the Northwest they go in during fall, after the soil cools but before it freezes hard. In Leavenworth the first fall frost usually comes around September 30.

Inland Northwest. Higher, colder interior valleys. Cold springs and an earlier fall mean a shorter season; quick-maturing varieties pay off.

Difficulty
Easy
Sun
Full sun
Spacing
6 to 8 inches apart
Planting depth
Tip just at the soil surface
Frost
Very hardy; grows through winter

Step by step

  1. Buy shallot bulbs sold for planting from a garden center or seed company.
  2. Loosen the soil and mix in an inch or two of compost.
  3. Plant them Sep 25 – Oct 31, 6 to 8 inches apart, with the tip just at the soil surface.
  4. Mulch lightly with straw for winter, pull weeds in spring and stop watering when the tops start to yellow.
  5. Harvest: Dig in summer when the tops yellow and fall over. Dry the clusters in a shady, airy spot for two weeks.

Varieties that do well here

  • French Gray (gourmet, very hardy)
  • Ambition
  • Dutch Yellow

Watch out for

Onion maggots in cool, wet soil. Plant onion-family crops in a different spot each year.

Planted like garlic in fall, or as early in spring as the soil can be worked. Each bulb multiplies into a cluster.

Common questions

When is the last frost in Leavenworth, WA?

Typically May 10. In 9 years out of 10, frost is over by May 28. These are 1991–2020 NOAA climate normals for Leavenworth.

When are shallots ready to harvest in Leavenworth?

Usually in early to midsummer, when the tops yellow and fall over. Dig in summer when the tops yellow and fall over. Dry the clusters in a shady, airy spot for two weeks.

Also plant in Leavenworth around the same time

Planting dates for shallots in nearby areas

Full planting calendar for Leavenworth · Shallots in every city