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A cluster of shallots on a wooden table
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When to plant shallots in Winthrop and Twisp, WA

Plant shallot bulbs in Winthrop and Twisp 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 Winthrop and Twisp the first fall frost usually comes around September 22.

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 Winthrop and Twisp, WA?

Typically May 15. In 9 years out of 10, frost is over by June 1. These are 1991–2020 NOAA climate normals for Winthrop.

When are shallots ready to harvest in Winthrop and Twisp?

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 Winthrop and Twisp around the same time

Planting dates for shallots in nearby areas

Full planting calendar for Winthrop and Twisp · Shallots in every city