Banana Shallots

In Lidl I bought some Banana Shallots (produce of France). Has anyone tried growing these in UK, and with what results? Presumably, as most other onion types flourish in our climate, these should be OK, but I might consider planting in March rather than on the shortest day.

 

I`ve been looking for the sets for the past 2 years, Prastio. Will pay Lidls a visit, methinks.:thumb:

 

I bought them 18 Dec so they should still have them on the shelves. Only 24p for a 250g bag of 7-8 big bulbs.

 

Banana shallots are actually onions!

"Long Red Florence" They can be grown easily in our climate, I had fair results last year, and what a "sh*te" year for onions last (this) year was?

grow them as onions and reap the results

 

Ooops, I grow them from seed and will be sowing them along with my other onion seed on boxing day.

 

Banana shallots, like spring onions, onions, shallots, leeks and asparagus are ALL members of the Lily family. So of course they are onions, though called shallots. Vince you mention the variety " Long Red Florence " which IS found under onions, but is still a shallot. Just like the variety " Longons ".:thumb:

 

So, if you grow a shallot from seed, do you end up with just one bulb?

Leek, onions, spring onions, all grown from seed produce one bulb per seed.

Shallots normally grown from bulbs, produce multiple bulbs.

So, what is the definition of a shallot, if its an onion?

 

I would agree, Pete, if growing from seed you are just producing the mother set. As with Garlic.

 

So, I presume that if I plant a banana shallot from sets I will get multiple bulbs?

I have never grown shallots, so please permit a (perhaps) simple question: If I leave them year after year will they carry on growing and increasing (like Chives for example)?

Vince: relieved to hear that you considered it a poor year for onions - I feared that it might just be me!

 

Shallots, like garlic, divide into clumps of bulbs. You lift these about August. You do not leave them in permanently, but replant every year. It`s a strange thingwith shallots, but if you plant a large bulb, it will produce small shallots and if you plant a small bulb it will produce large shallots,.:thumb:

 

David, I know some do go to seed, (which we dont want), but why do they all not go to seed?

if you plant an onion bulb it will run to seed, 100%.

 

Pete, when you plant onions you are growing one plant. With shallots and garlic you are growing multiple plants, so, one can run to seed while the others grow normally. Even in the same clump. Have you had a good day, by the way?

 

David, I'm sure there must be something other than hanging around here, that you should be doing on this day.:D
I hope you had a good one.

Meanwhile back to shallots, I know your only growing one plant when you re grow an onion.
I can only assume that onions do not have the ability to reproduce vegetively, whereas shallots do.

 

But onions DO divide on occassion, Pete.

 

What you have to remember with Shallots, Pete. Is that, although they grow as a clump, they all have separate root systems.