Description of shallot varieties, cultivation and care in open ground

Shallots can be grown in one or two years by planting seeds or sets. Greens and onions contain many useful components, so in addition to their pleasant taste, they can improve your health. Growing and care has some features, if observed, you can get a rich and healthy harvest.

Description of culture

Shallot is a variety onions. People call it differently: magpie, nesting, family, bush. The difference between shallots and onions is the following characteristics:

• a larger number of green feathers of a rich green color with a waxy coating;
• many small bulbs are formed in one nest;
• each head has an elongated shape;
• the crop is stored better and longer;
• the soil for planting shallots must be fertile and dense;
• almost all varieties are early ripening, beginning to ripen after 70 days;
• You can cut the plant for greenery a month after planting;
• Most varieties of shallots do not cause tears when cut;
• the taste of the internal scales is without bitterness and pungency, with a sweet aftertaste.

The pulp of shallot bulbs has a delicate consistency, without a hint of bitterness. The greens are tender and juicy. The vegetable is most often added to salads. The green mass can grow up to 40 cm in height. From 2 to 18 bulbs are formed in the nest. The more bulbs, the smaller their size. The average weight of a turnip is 30 g.

Shallot varieties

All varieties of shallots are divided into three large groups, which differ in the timing of harvest ripening. Popular varieties of different harvest ripening periods:

• Early ripening varieties include: Delicatessen, Belozerets, Sprint, Family, Banana, Cascade;
• mid-season shallot varieties: Airat, Knyazhich, Chapaevsky, Seryozhka, Andreika, Kubansky, Russian violet;
• Late ripening varieties are: Vonsky, Bargalinsky, Krepysh, Sibirsky Yantar.

There is another classification, where shallots are divided into three groups according to taste: sweet, spicy and semi-sweet.

The onion variety Sorokozubka belongs to the early ripening group of plants. The bulbs are formed in an elongated shape, up to 10 cm in length, 2.5 cm in diameter. Up to 10 bulbs can form in a large nest.The top layer of dry scales is colored red-violet, the inside is light purple. The heads taste juicy with a sweet-spicy aftertaste. The feather is thin, stretches up to 35 cm, tastes juicy and tender.

The White Queen shallot is distinguished by the early ripening of turnips. About 10 round-oblong bulbs are formed in the nest, weighing up to 70 g. Dry scales are white-cream in color, the flesh is snow-white. The taste is sweet-spicy, juicy. The variety reproduces quickly, rarely gets sick, and the harvested crop is stored for a long time.

Description of the shallot variety Belozerets 94: characterized by the early boundaries of turnip ripening, 78 days pass from the day of planting. Bulbs of pungent taste, weighing up to 30 g. Round-oval shape. Dry purple scales. The variety is characterized by high yield, excellent shelf life and good disease resistance.

Shallot: beneficial properties

The beneficial properties of shallots are determined by their high content of vitamins (especially vitamin C) and minerals. Regular consumption of this vegetable improves the functioning of internal organs and the entire body as a whole:

• blood pressure is normalized;
• the walls of blood vessels are strengthened;
• cholesterol levels decrease;
• immunity increases;
• the functioning of the digestive organs improves;
• pathogenic flora is destroyed;
• improves vision.

The vegetable contains antioxidants that remove toxins and bad cholesterol from the body. Including shallots in the diet has a beneficial effect on the condition of hair and nails.

Due to its delicate taste and delicate aroma, shallots are called a gourmet vegetable. It is added during the preparation of first and second courses, as well as in salads. Onions are pickled, frozen, dried.

Features of agricultural technology

In the first year after planting, shallots form no more than 5 bulbs, in the second year much more - 10–14 heads. The main thing is to know how to grow the crop, when to plant it, and in what place.

Planting material can be planted in the spring, at the beginning of April, and before winter - at the end of October. If plant onions in the fall, then the greens will grow early and harvesting can begin two weeks earlier than usual.

Preparing the beds

Shallots develop well in open areas where sunlight freely enters. Therefore, you need to plant away from trees and shrubs. The soil should be fertile, not acidic, loose and light. Acidic soil impairs the quality of the crop. The bulbs become small and lose their beneficial properties.

The best predecessors for shallots are legumes, cucumbers, zucchini, cabbage, and tomatoes. Do not plant in beds where sunflowers, carrots, corn, garlic and beets were previously harvested. Next to the onion beds you can plant carrots, radishes, cucumbers, and strawberries.

When planting shallots in open ground in the spring, the soil is prepared in the fall. The soil is dug up and fertilizers are added (for example, rotted manure). In spring, the soil is loosened again and mineral fertilizers are applied. You can plan the beds in the area where the lawn grows. The work begins with removing the turf the width of the future bed, and leaving the passages untouched.

Preparing the bulbs

The preparatory stage, which consists of selecting, heating, soaking and disinfecting planting material, is necessary to obtain a good harvest.

Before planting, the bulbs should be sorted. Bulbs measuring 3 cm are suitable, without damage or dents. The selected seeds need to be heated.It is better to do this in two stages: first, the onions are stored for two weeks at a temperature of +20, then heated for 10 hours at a temperature of +40 degrees. Thanks to this procedure, plant growth is activated and the formation of shoots is prevented.

After warming up, it is recommended to place the bulbs in solutions that stimulate growth for 5–6 hours. For example, preparations such as Zircon and Humisol are suitable.

Despite the fact that shallots are very disease-resistant, it is recommended to carry out a disinfection procedure. For this purpose, planting material should be in a weak solution of potassium permanganate for about two hours. In addition to potassium permanganate, the solution can be made based on salt or Fitosporin.

Planting and care

To produce bulbs, shallots begin to be planted at the end of March. The planting material chosen is small, with a diameter of 2–3 cm. To obtain feathers, larger bulbs are planted at the end of October. They deepen the prepared holes by 5 cm. The bulbs should be arranged according to a pattern of 20 by 10 cm.

If you follow the rules for planting and caring for vegetables in the open ground, then the greens and bulbs will delight you with their pleasant taste:

• The crop is watered regularly and abundantly.
• After watering, it is necessary to loosen the soil.
• Weeding is necessary to timely get rid of weeds that cause the spread of diseases and pests.
• Feeding is carried out twice a season.

In cold weather, shallots can be affected by fungal diseases (powdery mildew, fusarium, downy mildew) and be attacked by pests (onion fly, onion nematode). The beds can be treated with preparations: Quadris, Maxim, wood ash helps to cope with the problem well.

In the prepared area, make furrows 6 cm deep and spill with water. If the bulbs are planted before winter, then they are deepened 1–2 cm more. The distance in the bed between large bulbs is 18 cm, between medium-sized bulbs is about 15 cm, and between small ones a distance of 10 cm is left.

Cleaning and storage

Exact dates, when to remove onions from the garden, No. The dates may change, it all depends on the weather, care characteristics, and variety. Green feathers are ready to eat within a month after germination.

The first sign that the bulbs are ripe is the drying out and lodging of the feathers. Cleaning must be done on time, otherwise the nests will break up into separate bulbs and begin to sprout.

Using a shovel, dig at the base of the bush and pull it out manually. Then they shake off the adhering dirt and leave it to dry, leaving it on the garden bed. If the weather is rainy, then remove the harvested crops into a room with good ventilation.

Once the bulbs are dry, they can be divided into individual splinters. Dry leaves are trimmed, leaving a stump of 4 cm. Further storage is recommended in a dark, cool room. Density and beneficial substances are preserved for 7–9 months.

Growing shallots for feathers

Shallots are often grown for green feathers. Feathers begin to be cut at a height of 25 cm. The average period is a month after planting. Growing shallots has its benefits. The leaves practically do not form arrows and have a delicate, juicy taste.

Greens ripen faster if onions are planted before winter. Choose cold-resistant varieties of shallots. You can plant onions in boxes and grow them at home. In the latter case, planting begins at the end of February.

Growing shallots for turnips and care features

Growing shallots has its benefits. Early ripening is not the only indicator of how it differs from onions. The shallot turnip begins to ripen after 2 months, and the onion vegetable after 3 months. The shallot bulb contains more useful vitamins and they are better preserved in winter.

During the entire growing season, weeding and loosening of the soil, regular watering, fertilization and treatment against pests and diseases are provided.

Features of obtaining Ashkelon onion seeds

Ashkelon onion is another name for shallot. Shallot seeds and sets need periodic renewal. This will eliminate disease and degeneration. Every 3–4 years, planting material is changed. You can buy delicacy seeds or prepare them yourself.

To do this, select large, healthy shallot bulbs and keep them for three months at a temperature of +6 degrees. After this, they are planted in the ground in the spring. To get arrows, you need to plant onions earlier than usual.

On the selected and processed bulbs, arrows with flowers will form. In place of the flowers, umbrellas with seed pods are then formed. Seeds are not produced in every capsule. Therefore, this must be taken into account when collecting seeds. Growing from seeds is not difficult.

Shallots: growing from seeds

It is recommended to germinate the seeds before planting. They are soaked in warm water for 48 hours. After this, the seeds are distributed on a fabric surface and dried.

Planting material is placed in the furrows prepared on the site, 5 cm deep, and covered with a small layer of earth. When growing shallots, standard care is required:

• In the first time after sowing, frequent and abundant watering should be carried out. Three weeks before harvest, the amount of watering is reduced.
• In order for the plant to receive more oxygen and nutritional components, loosening is carried out. The procedure allows you to avoid the appearance of a crust on the surface of the earth.
• Weeds should not be allowed to grow, so weed regularly.

During the entire growing season, it is enough to carry out two feedings. When is it better to fertilize and what to feed? The first time you need to apply fertilizer is in the spring, when the plant has three feathers (for example, urea is suitable). The second feeding is carried out after two weeks. During this period of development, phosphorus and potassium are needed.

Advice from an experienced gardener

External signs will tell you when it is best to harvest shallots. Often the physiological maturity of shallots occurs in the last days of July. The dug nests are divided into separate bulbs, dried and stored.

Many varieties have a shelf life of up to 7 months. You can store it in mesh bags, boxes, you can braid it and hang it up. You can cut the onion and greens into pieces and freeze.