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Help with shallots

the_mi11sthe_mi11s Posts: 2
in Problem solving
i have shallots that I planted last fall. This week they shot up what looks like a cross between a scape and the head of a walking onion. What is this? Can I replant them? Should I cut them?


Posts

  • the_mi11sthe_mi11s Posts: 2
    Anyone.anyone?
  • GrannybeeGrannybee Posts: 332
    They look as if they are about to flower. I don't think you can eat them now - just enjoy the flowers.
  • NollieNollie Posts: 7,529
    Yes, they have ‘bolted’ which means they have thrown up flowering shoots in a desperate attempt to set seed, usually in response to excessive heat stress/lack of water. All the energy in the shallot bulbs will have gone into these flowers, so you won’t have much in the way of a shallot left, but dig one up and have a look, there may be a few still useable in the kitchen, but they won’t store. You could simply enjoy the flowers, but if you have other members of the allium family (onions, garlic etc.) nearby, definitely get them all out quickly and dispose of them, as once one allium has bolted it seems to encourage the rest to do the same!
    Mountainous Northern Catalunya, Spain. Hot summers, cold winters.
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