Shallotsis a nest onion, forming a nest of oblong-ovoid small daughter bulbs from which it can be propagated vegetatively. The correct botanical name is ascalonic garlic (Allium ascalonicum). It comes from the Middle East, and in Europe its largest producers are: France, Italy, Belgium and the Netherlands. In Poland, it is grown mainly amateurs, in allotment and home gardens. It is worth taking an interest in it because it has numerous taste and he alth values, and is also perfect for amateur cultivation.
Shallots are valued for their mild taste, the mildest of all onion vegetables
Interestingly, the amateurshallot onion cultivationin our country has a very long tradition, and information about it can be found in very old gardening textbooks. This shows thatshallot onionswas very much liked by Polish gardeners.
We lived to see numerous local populations of shallots, reproduced solely by dividing nests. They form onions of various shapes - elongated, more or less spherical, and even flattened. Mild varieties have a straw yellow color of scales, while those with light brown scales are slightly spicy. The gardeners who cultivate it often do not even know that it is shallots, and they call it onion-garlic or family onion (precisely because of the numerous daughter bulbs).
Shallots - use, nutritional values
"Shallotsis valued for its mild taste, the mildest of all onion vegetables. It can be used at various stages of growth, starting with harvesting chives in bunches (2 or 3 bulbs are left in the nest for further growth), and ending with picking fully ripe, formed bulbs.Onions are an excellent kitchen spice, they can also be used in the preparation of marinades, preserves and sauces. And who likes it, after finishing work on the plot, simply spread butter or cottage cheese on the bread and add chopped shallots and radishes, thus preparing tasty and very nutritious sandwiches.
This vegetable should be included in the menu of all people who they like to eat what is he althy. Theshallot onionowes its unique dietary and he alth properties to the presence of volatile oil, which has much more than ordinary onions. One of the most valuable ingredients contained in shallots are flavonoids (they can be found both in onions and in shallots), which enhance the effect of vitamin C. There is also a lot of vitamin C in the chives and from this combination we obtain the natural origin of rutinoscorbin, valued in strengthening immunity and treating colds . Flavonoids also support the circulatory system and reduce the risk of heart disease.We can eat the shallots raw, fry, dry or freeze without fear of losing valuable flavonoids. Only cooking it should be avoided, as this process causes a significant loss of these valuable substances. "
Shallots form small, elongated daughter bulbs. It has slightly lower requirements than ordinary onions and is eagerly grown by amateurs by gardeners and home garden owners
Shallot onions - cultivation on the plot
Shallots - cultivation requirements
Growing shallotsis similar to growing spring onion. Compared to common onions, however, shallots have slightly lower soil and climatic requirements - they manage in worse positions and can overwinter without being covered. It should be remembered, however, that due to the shallot root system, shallots have high water requirements, especially at the beginning of the growing season.
Shallot onionsis best planted on light soils , permeable, well-structured.Before planting, the soil can be mixed with compost. Low nitrogen content in the soil is required, as its excess causes a lighter color of the scales and a purple color of the flesh. Therefore, any fertilization with manure should be applied only a year earlier, it must not be applied just before planting.
Gardeners who use mineral fertilization can apply fertilizer doses similar to those for common onions, except that nitrogen fertilization must be halved smaller.
Shallot onions - planting.
Shallot onionsplant in the first half of April. Depending on the size of planted bulbs, the spacing should be 20 - 30 x 10 - 15 cm. Larger bulbs (about 20 mm in diameter) are best suited for an early bunch harvest, and smaller bulbs can be planted in the fully ripe phase.
In order to speed up the harvest, the beds are covered with agrotextile or foil. This allows you to speed up the harvest by about 7 to 10 days. However, if the covers are removed too late, the pliers may become deformed.Therefore, the covers must be removed after 2 weeks at the latest.
Shallot onion - harvest
Physiological maturity of the onions is around mid-July. This moment is recognized by the breakage of the chives and the appearance of a dry husk. If you want to store the onions, pick them while the chives are still green and half broken. The chives are cut 5 to 8 cm above the bulb. Then dry the bulbs and store them in the same way as garlic, in a dry and ventilated place, at a temperature above 18 ° C.
If the harvest is delayed, the nests will start to break up into individual bulbs which will root again. Un-harvested bulbs resume growth after the physiological dormancy period has passed and the plant may survive until the next year.
In addition to the spring planting described above,shallot bulbscan also be planted in autumn for the early spring harvest of spring chives .
Growing shallots from seeds
Shallots can also be grown from seeds.As seed hay shallots initially grow slowly and may be drowned out by weeds, it is recommended to sow the seeds in the seedbed and plant them in beds only after the plants have produced 2 or 3 leaves, which takes place 4 to 6 weeks after emergence. For this reason, it is a more labor-consuming method and it is rather not used as an amateur. Whoever decides, however, can choose from the seeds of several varieties of shallots of foreign origin - incl. Bonilla F1 , Creation F1 , Matador F1 , Ambition F1 , as well as the Polish variety Toto, produced by PlantiCo from Gołębiewo.
