Your comments and tips

02 Sep 10, Liz (New Zealand - temperate climate)

The planting dates are intended as a guide - local conditions may affect your planting times.

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11 Dec 09, GB (Australia - temperate climate)

To Stuart: Depends where you live. In WA they are for whatever reason considered a pest and as such the seeds cannot be imported into the state (but you can grow from bulb???). Maybe try the diggers club (google it).

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09 Dec 09, STUART (Australia - cool/mountain climate)

Has anyone any ideas of where i can purchase some seed for these french shallots, I have hunted everywhere locally to no avail any help will be most appreciated

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02 Sep 10, Cygnetian (Australia - cool/mountain climate)

Stuart, if you happen to be in Tassie, Mitre 10 tends to sell them, but only in the winter, a few months before they're due to be planted. I bought some red shallots a few years ago from Mitre 10 marketed by Trenton Cottage Bulbs . Apparently, however, this season there was a problem with red shallots - some kind of disease on the mainland or something. Basically, keep an eye out in winter in the hardware stores and nurseries. I think they pretty much always sell out, like potatoes.

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23 Oct 09, (Australia - temperate climate)

how long does it take before you can pick them

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25 Apr 13, Davo from Bribie (Australia - sub-tropical climate)

True shallots are ready when the foliage becomes partly withered and bulbs have reached marketable size.

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16 Sep 09, Graeme Collett (Australia - temperate climate)

I now belong to the supermarket treatment school. Have had ZERO result with these. They just sit there and rot. Maybe some supplies treat and some don't. Mine came from Coles but will try Woolies. I try and avoid the "big boys" but will keep eye out at local bloke. Fingers crossed.

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02 Sep 10, Cygnetian (Australia - cool/mountain climate)

Graeme, are you using shallots purchased from the supermarket? Have you tried certified seed shallots from a nursery or hardware store?

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07 Aug 09, GB (Australia - temperate climate)

I purchased French shallots from the local Woolies here in WA (every time I buy them the girls do not know what they are and process them as pickling onions) and planted them in a 30cm diam/deep plastic pot with well rotted plant matter and horse manure. I had also heard that you cannot replant supermarket seeds or bulbs due to some kind of treatment, but for the shallots this certainly was not the case. The shallots grew to about 100mm within 3 weeks and after that the growth was fairly rapid. Of interest was the fact that I companion planted with a rosemary in one of the pots and the foliage and bulb development far exceeded that of shallots that I planted by themselves. This may be due to the original bulb quality but food for thought anyhow. I planted the bulbs early spring.

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01 Aug 09, MuddyKnees (Australia - cool/mountain climate)

While not directly related to this thread I'm asking here as there seems some knowledgable folk .. Anyone know where I can source tree potatoes? I'm not sure if that is the correct name but apparantly they grow on a bushlike plant, i.e. above ground.

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