Hi Arnold, Would you like me to send you some bulbs of the grey shallot? I have very many! I was a little hesitant to start a thread on mere culinary bulbs, but Mike Rummerfield's detailed post is very helpful. Hope you're doing well! Best regards, Jane On 7/4/2020 12:28 PM, Arnold Trachtenberg via pbs wrote: > I’m interested in the French shallots. Grow exotic garlic every year > A source is in the great state of Maine. It must be hardy for me here. > It’s the Maine potato lady. > Arnold > > Sent from AOL Mobile Mail > Get the new AOL app: mail.mobile.aol.com > On Saturday, July 4, 2020, Mike Rummerfield via pbs <pbs@lists.pacificbulbsociety.net> wrote: > > Re: French Grey Shallots > > Jane, > I grow these about 100 miles north of you. > They require very similar conditions to those required by garlic. I've not > been happy with the results with leaving them in the ground to reprout in > the Fall (resulting in numerous small bulbs). When you replant them, > divide and replant as individual cloves (they will self divide into more, > just as garlic does). The key to growing them to usable size is high > fertility. Fertilizing them (I use only organic) while growing in quality > loam will provide optimal size, although they never will be as large as > some of the other shallot varieties -- genetics. They make up for that by > being more prolific in the number of new bulbs they produce. I mix in > fertilizer once in the Fall when I plant them, and side dress them with > same before adding compost mulch in very early Spring. > > And, yes, applying the high quality organic mulch, as you mentioned, would > be advantageous; they are shallow rooted. > > I share your discouragement in small bulbs. If they're too small, I just > don't use them - too much trouble. > Grey shallots also hold up very well in very long storage, some years still > usable after two full seasons in storage. > > Not sure about their hardiness in colder climates. Maybe that would > require very early Spring planting? > This season's grey shallots are harvestable for me now. I just need to get > out there, dodge the raindrops, and do it. > > Good luck, > Mike > zn. 7, cool mediterranean > > >> _______________________________________________ >> pbs mailing list >> pbs@lists.pacificbulbsociety.net >> http://lists.pacificbulbsociety.net/cgi-bin/… >> > _______________________________________________ > pbs mailing list > pbs@lists.pacificbulbsociety.net > http://lists.pacificbulbsociety.net/cgi-bin/… > > _______________________________________________ > pbs mailing list > pbs@lists.pacificbulbsociety.net > http://lists.pacificbulbsociety.net/cgi-bin/… _______________________________________________ pbs mailing list pbs@lists.pacificbulbsociety.net http://lists.pacificbulbsociety.net/cgi-bin/…