A delicacy representative of the Onion family is shallots - a biennial herb that, when ripe, acquires many small cloves, which resembles garlic. It belongs to the types of onions, however, it differs not only in external qualities, but also in taste. What is a shallot, and how to cultivate it in a personal plot, we will find out further.
Shallots are a biennial plant
In shallots, not only the bulbs are considered tasty, but also the feathers
Shallots have a delicate sweet taste
Description of shallots
Early ripening shallots are a biennial plant that has been mentioned since the 3rd century BC. Nowadays, it is especially popular in France and begins to actively occupy more space on the shelves of different countries of the world. The characteristics of the plant that all gardeners should know about are presented in the table below:
Parameter | Description |
Origin | The birthplace of this plant has not been precisely established. The first mentions of him are found in the works of Theophrastus (372-287 BC). There is a theory that for the first time they began to eat it about 5 thousand years ago in the south-west of Israel, and more specifically in the city of Ashkelon. For this reason, it is also called Ashkelon onion (Allium ascalonicum). According to other sources, shallots come from Asia Minor. Some experts believe that he comes from the Mediterranean region. It is believed that the plant came to Central Europe from Greece in the 13th century thanks to the knights-crusaders. In the CIS countries, shallot first appeared in 1958, when it was bred by breeders from the Kuban and Kharkov regions. |
Cultivation areas | The most favorable areas for shallot cultivation are the southern territories. In practice, it is actively planted not only in Western Europe, but also in Ukraine, Moldova, the North Caucasus and Transcaucasia. Some vegetable varieties are acclimatized and suitable for cultivation in the northern regions. These varieties include Bonilla, Earring and Red Sun Shallot. |
Growing period | The crop is suitable for growing throughout the year. In spring and summer, you can cut fleshy feathers with a waxy coating and a pleasant taste, and in autumn and winter, you can collect onions directly. |
Germination method | Bulbs grow at the same time, forming a kind of nest of small heads. On one plant, there are from several pieces to several dozen heads. Due to this feature, onions are also called family or nesting. Its other name is shrew. Each head weighs approximately 200-300 g. The height of the arrows, on which loose umbrella-shaped inflorescences appear, reaches about 100 cm. They also include flowers that do not have decorative value. |
Fruit characteristics | The main vegetative organ of the plant is a small bulb, which has the following characteristics:
|
Planting material | Shallots are often grown by planting their heads, so there is no need to sow seeds to get good planting material. So, you just need to leave part of the crop for planting next season. For this feature, onions are also called potato. However, with vegetative propagation, it must be borne in mind that the onions after some time lose their varietal qualities and gradually accumulate diseases, which negatively affects the yield. To fix this, it is necessary to use fresh material for planting or to independently grow the seeds from seeds that remain viable for 2-3 years. In the first year, they will give heads that resemble garlic and break down into 5 onions. When they are planted, already at the beginning of next season you can get nests consisting of numerous bulbs. |
The benefits of onions | Shallot is valued for its medicinal properties - it helps with diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and eyes, does not injure the gastric mucosa due to its delicate taste, produces an anti-inflammatory effect and prevents the development of tumors due to the content of flavonoids. Onions are also useful for:
|
Cooking Application | Both bulbs and feathers are used in cooking. They are used fresh, fried, baked and pickled. In Iran, it is customary to serve an original sauce for shish kebab - grated shallots with yogurt, and in China popular chips are prepared from it. Shallots are especially popular in France, where they are used to prepare most sauces, delicacies and dishes with poultry and wild animals. |
Contraindications | In large quantities, shallots should not be eaten for problems with the gastrointestinal tract and urinary system, as it can make urination difficult. It is recommended to exclude it from the diet completely with bronchial spasms, kidney and liver diseases. In addition, onions are contraindicated in people with increased acidity of the stomach - it increases the level of acid and thereby causes irritation of the mucous membrane. |
Differences from Onions
Shallots resemble ordinary onions, as they have a fleshy head and long green feathers, as well as a two-year growing season. However, there are differences between these two cultures, and they are as follows:
- shallots grow in nests, and onions grow singly;
- shallot head consists of several cloves, which resembles garlic and differs from onions, which in the context consists of concentric rings;
- shallots have a more tender and pleasant pulp, but the aroma is not as sharp as that of its relative;
- shallots are able to withstand lower temperatures and ripens much faster onions;
- shallots can be stored even at room temperature, but onions are more picky about storage conditions and wither quickly;
- in the composition of shallots, the sugar content prevails, therefore it has a high calorie content per 100 g - 72 kcal versus 40 kcal for onions.
Popular varieties
There are many varieties of shallots on the market, which can be classified into three groups based on ripening times. We will consider each of them separately.
Early
These include varieties, the green feather of which ripens in 18-22 days, and the leaves - lodge 65-70 days after germination. Popular early varieties are:
- Vitamin basket. A great option for growing both in the greenhouse and in the open field. Bulbs weighing up to 30 g have a yellow husk and a juicy crispy white flesh.
- Emerald. It produces bulbs of a rounded shape and weighing 20-30 g. They are covered with a brown-pink husk and have a white semi-sharp flesh. 4-5 bulbs grow in the nest. From 1 sq. m area you can collect 1.2-1.4 kg of fruit. Their shelf life is up to 10 months.
- Snowball. Bulbs are egg-shaped, gain up to 35 g in mass and acquire a sharp taste. m beds can collect up to 1.9 kg of crop. You can store the fruits for up to 7 months.
- Sprint. Downy mildew resistant variety that can be harvested at the end of July. Great for growing on greens. Bulbs themselves are obtained by 20-35 g. They have a sharp flesh of light yellow color with a pink tint.
- Belozerets 94. Bred at the P.P. Lukyanenko Krasnodar Research Institute of Agriculture. The variety is valued for its good keeping quality and high yield (up to 15 tons per hectare). The fruits are formed oval-round or rounded, weigh an average of 21-27 g and have a sharp juicy pulp of lilac-purple color. The bulbs are covered with a pale lilac husk with a yellowish tint.
- Cascade. Fruits in bulbs weighing up to 35 g, which have a wide ovoid shape, juicy pulp and light pink husk. In each nest, 5-6 such bulbs are formed. It will be possible to harvest 17 tons of fruits from 1 hectare.
- Family. If you need a variety that is resistant to frost and disease, then this is a great option. The plant produces round bulbs weighing 22-25 g. They are covered with a brownish-yellow husk with a purple tint and have a white flesh with a mild semi-sharp taste. In one nest, 3-4 such fruits appear. They are great for preparing salads and vegetable dishes.
- Sir-7. Bred by breeders from SibNIIRS, therefore it is suitable for cultivation in the northern regions. The variety produces fruits weighing about 20-35 g, which have yellow scales with a pink tint and a pungent taste. From 4 to 7 bulbs appear in each nest. From 1 hectare it will be possible to collect about 18 tons of fruits.
- Star. One of the most precocious plants - forms a mature onion in 55-60 days. Bulbs with yellowish-pink scales and white flesh have a sharp taste and are not afraid of drought.
- Off-season. In winter and spring, this particular variety can be grown for greens. The plant forms bright green leaves up to 30 cm long and rounded flat fruits weighing up to 20 g. Their scales are yellow, and the inner lobules are white. 8-10 fruits appear in the nest.
Mid-season
This group includes varieties in which about 70-80 days pass from the emergence of seedlings to lodging of greens. These include:
- Albik. Brings yellow bulbs of rounded flat shape and weighing up to 20-30 g. The heads and feathers have a pleasant semi-sharp taste, therefore they are suitable for adding to fresh salads and vegetable dishes. From 4 to 8 bulbs appear in one nest, and the yield per hectare reaches 20 tons.
- Ayrat. Onions with a spicy, but at the same time delicate taste, which is more often grown for herbs. Rounded heads have yellow or orange husks and weigh an average of 15 g. Up to 5-6 bulbs are formed in one nest, and with 1 square. m of the garden, it is possible to collect up to 1.5-5.7 kg of the crop.
- Andrei. Semi-hot onion with pink juicy pulp and dark brown hulls. The heads have a transverse elliptical shape and weigh 25 g each. Productivity from 1 sq. M. m - up to 1.8 kg.
- Athos. A peninsular variety that bears fruit with broad-egg-shaped bulbs weighing up to 30 g. They are covered with dark red scales and have juicy reddish slices. In one nest, 4-5 heads are formed, and with 1 square. m it is possible to collect 2 kg of onions.
- Bonilla F1. An annual hybrid, which is often cultivated through seeds in order to obtain greens. Bulbs are obtained weighing up to 32 g, have an oblong-rounded shape, yellow-brownish dry scales and a semi-sharp taste. Each nest consists of 4-5 bulbs, and from 1 sq. m it is possible to collect up to 1.5-1.6 g of the crop.
- Guarantee. The plant brings bulbs of rounded flat shape and weighing up to 25-32 g. They have a brown husk with a grayish tint and brown flesh of a soft, semi-sharp taste. The variety can be grown on heads and greens. m beds will be able to collect 1.5-2.4 g of crop suitable for consumption for table purposes and for conservation.
- Miner. The variety brings peninsular bulbs of yellow color, round in shape and weighing 16-18 g. 5-7 heads are formed in one nest, and the yield is from 1 sq. M. m - about 1.5 kg.
- Guran. A perennial plant that bears fruit with medium-sharp taste, rounded in shape and weighing up to 26-28 g. They have a husk of brownish-gray, brown or light orange color. In each nest, 5-6 daughter bulbs appear, and the yield from 1 sq. m reaches 1.7-2 kg.
- Kuban yellow D-322. The variety was released by breeders of the NCP them. Lukyanenko and zoned since 1958. In each nest, it forms 4-5 bulbs, which have an oval-flat shape, weight up to 25-30 g, brownish-yellow husk and juicy, semi-sharp flesh of white or pale green color. The yield per hectare is from 16 to 28 tons.
- Kushchevka Kharkov. Variety for universal dining purposes, which in each nest brings 6-7 oval bulbs and weighing up to 25-30 g. They have yellow-brown scales with a purple tint and juicy light purple flesh of semi-sharp taste. The variety is not afraid of low temperatures and tolerates a lack of moisture in the soil.
- Earring. A multi-bud plant that is grown from seed in a two-year-old culture. The bulbs are round, dense and weighing up to 25 g. They have yellow scales and juicy white flesh. They can be stored for up to 8 months.
- Sophocles. A high-yielding variety that grows well on all soils and is resistant to fusarium. Each nest forms 4-8 bulbs weighing from 25 to 50 g. They have a red or brown-red coating and a purple core with a sharp taste.
- Ural purple. Unlike other varieties, it has especially large nests - in each of them 15 bulbs are formed. They have an oval-flat shape, weigh up to 25-40 g and have a semi-sharp or sweetish taste. The outer scales are purple-brown, and the inner lobules are pink. The plant does not give shooters and is resistant to rot.
- Chapaevsky. Universal variety, bringing from 3 to 8 bulbs in each nest. They have a rounded flat or rounded shape, dry scales of light purple color and the same flesh semisweet to taste. Each onion weighs 40 g.
- Firebird. A variety with a semi-sharp taste, which bears fruit in round-flat bulbs with dry yellow-brown scales and weighing from 25 to 30 g.
Late ripening
Varieties with a growing season of about 80-95 days. Popular among them are:
- Vonsky. This variety can be grown in unfavorable conditions as it is resistant to temperature extremes, pests and diseases. 3-4 bulbs may appear in one nest, each weighing about 30-70 g, has a red husk and white flesh with a light purple hue and a semi-sharp taste.
- Kunak. Another variety with a semi-sharp taste, bred in the Krasnodar Research Institute of Agriculture named after I. In each nest 3-4 bulbs of rounded flat or rounded shape appear, which have yellow husks and white flesh. m of land you can collect about 3 kg of greenery and 2.6 kg of onion fruits.
- Sturdy. This variety is not afraid of putrefactive lesions and only rarely gives arrows. In one nest, 4-5 bulbs are formed, each of which weighs 23-52 g, has pink scales and lavender juicy pulp with a semi-sharp taste. From 1 hectare, you can collect 17 tons of fruits, excellent for pickling. The variety is suitable for winter planting.
- Siberian amber. The plant tolerates cold and is not afraid of putrefactive diseases. In each nest, it forms up to 5-8 onion prong teeth, which have white flesh with a semi-sharp taste, are covered with orange or yellow scales and weigh 28-30 g. Beds can collect up to 2 kg of fruit.
- Merneulsky (Bargalinsky). Unlike the above plants, this variety brings large bulbs - weighing from 50 to 90 g. They have an elongated oval shape, yellow-pink husk and juicy white flesh. 4-5 bulbs grow in one nest.
When to plant?
Depending on the purpose of cultivation, the timing of planting shallots can vary:
- In autumn. To obtain an early harvest of onion feathers, it is recommended to plant onions before winter, that is, in the fall - in mid or late October, since the culture is not afraid of frost.It should be borne in mind that from the moment of planting to the onset of persistent cold weather, it takes about a month for the plant to take root, but not yet begin to grow. This planting will speed up the harvesting period by 2 weeks.
With a podzimny planting, feathers can be cut in April, and the heads can be collected in June. In order to have vitamin greens on the table in winter, the bulbs must be planted for distillation in room conditions.
- In the spring. In order to grow full-fledged heads, shallots should be planted in late March - early April. To determine the most favorable time for planting, you should focus on weather conditions - the soil should warm up to 8-10 ° C. In such conditions, the plant will be able to get enough of a large volume of melt water. It is not afraid of residual frosts, on the contrary, it is becoming more active and gaining vitality.
Shallot belongs to frost-resistant crops - it can withstand temperature drops to -20 ° C and preserve vitality even after complete freezing. At the same time, planting before winter should be done only in the southern regions.
What is the reason for this feature? The fact is that in the Urals, Siberia and mid-latitudes, winter landing can lead to the death of about half of all bulbs due to severe frosts. The surviving plants will form more greenery than the bulbs that were planted in spring, since during winter planting, the tops begin to actively grow immediately after the snow cover disappears.
To determine the exact dates for planting work, gardeners can also be guided by the Lunar calendar. It states that auspicious days for the cultivation of shallots are:
- in March - from 10 to 12, from 15 to 17, from 23 to 25, from 27 to 30;
- in April - from 2 to 9, from 11 to 15, from 24 to 27, 29 and 30;
- in May - from 1 to 4, from 12 to 14, 26 and 27, 30;
- in October - from 4 to 7, from 15 to 17, from 19 to 21, from 23 to 25, 27;
- in November - from 1 to 3.
The lunar calendar determines not only favorable, but also undesirable days for planting shallots. These include:
- in March - 6, 7, 21;
- in April and May - 5, 19;
- in June - 3 and 4, 17;
- in July - 2 and 3, 17;
- in August - 15 and 16, 30 and 31;
- in September - 14 and 15, 28 and 29;
- in November - 12 and 13, 26 and 27.
Preparatory work
In order to plant shallots at the chosen time, all preparatory measures must be carried out in a timely manner. They consist in the correct processing of both the beds and planting material. We will consider each stage separately.
Preparing the garden
First of all, you need to choose a suitable area for growing shallots. To do this, you need to pay attention to the following parameters:
- Illumination. The plot should be well warmed up by the sun's rays, otherwise the fruiting of the plant will noticeably deteriorate in the shade.
- The best predecessors. Crop rotation rules state that shallots are best grown in places where such crops grew in the previous season:
- cucumbers;
- Tomatoes
- zucchini;
- legumes;
- potatoes;
- cabbage.
- Worst predecessors. Onions must not be cultivated in places where the following plants were previously cultivated:
- corn;
- garlic;
- sunflower;
- beet;
- carrot;
- other representatives of the Lukov family (re-landing is possible only after 3-5 years).
- Neighborhood. Experienced gardeners recommend not placing shallots close to a bulbous relative, since these plants can easily interbreed, which will negatively affect their yield indicators. It is best to grow carrots near shallots, as these crops repel pests that are dangerous to each other. Good neighbors also include:
- cucumbers;
- various types of salad;
- radish;
- wild strawberries.
- The soil. Loose and moderately moist soil with weak or neutral acidity is most suitable for shallots, otherwise the bulbs will shrink and the greens will quickly turn yellow. An excellent option is loamy or sandy loam soil.
A plot with suitable parameters needs to be prepared in advance. With spring planting, the best time is in the fall. The beds need to be dug up to a depth of 20-25 cm, remove all weeds and plant debris, and then fertilize (per 1 sq. M):
- 30 g superphosphate;
- 15-20 g of potash fertilizers;
- 2-3 st. l wood ash;
- 3-4 kg of compost or rotted manure;
- 1 teasurea.
With the advent of spring, it remains to add nitrogen fertilizer (25 g per 1 sq. M) to the formed beds and mix it with the soil.
If planting work is planned for the winter, then you need to prepare the site from the summer, adhering to the above sequence.
Planting Material Processing
To protect the future planting from diseases and stimulate its growth, the planting material must be properly prepared. As such can be:
- Onions. First of all, they need to be sorted. The best material is considered to be specimens weighing about 30 g, which reach 30 mm in the crossbar. They are the ones who form a larger number of bulbs.
Larger specimens give too many small heads, but smaller ones have low yields and yield only late harvests of table-decorative greenery, so it is better to plant them in the winter. The selected material must be processed:- 7 days before planting, put it in warm (+ 40 ... + 42 ° C) water for 8-10 hours;
- before planting, cut the neck of the seed set on the shoulders in order to accelerate the appearance of greenery (you can skip this manipulation if you wish, since it will reduce the yield of turnips and greens);
- soak the seedlings for 30 minutes in a solution of potassium permanganate or fungicide (for example, in the preparation Maxim).
If you plan to get an early harvest of greens, it is better to plant sprouted shallots in the ground, heated in a warm room with high humidity for 2 weeks.
- Seeds. In order to update planting material from seeds, you need to grow new bulbs. If you carry out planting in the spring, in September you can get a sowing. These are small nests made up of small bulbs. In the next season, they can be used as a new planting material.
To grow high-quality seedlings, you need to germinate the seeds - keep them in damp cotton cloth or gauze for 1-2 days. To prevent moisture from evaporating, seedlings should be regularly sprayed with warm water. Sprouted seeds remain to dry, and then scatter over the garden.
Planting shallots
Prepared planting material must be planted in moist soil, adhering to the following scheme:
- the distance between the rows is 30-40 cm;
- the distance between the bulbs in a row is 20-30 cm;
- the distance between seeds in a row is 8-10 cm;
- the depth of planting of bulbs is 2-3 cm (with a deeper planting, the growth of greens will be delayed and the yield of the variety will decrease, but if they are planted to a lesser depth, then the bulbs will bulge out from under the ground);
- the seeding depth is 11-13 cm with the bottom down (however, in the southern regions it is not worth deepening the shallots deeper than 10 m, as too strong planting will increase the harvest time).
After planting, sprinkle the bulbs with soil mixed with wood ash (3: 1) and watered. The planting should also be mulched - covered with a layer of peat or humus with a thickness of 3.5 to 4 cm.If the onion is planted in the fall, then the beds can be covered with spruce branches, which will need to be removed in early spring.
If the seedlings are not additionally protected from the cold, they are able to withstand a temperature drop of -25 ° C. At lower rates, the crop yield can be reduced by 3 times.
How to plant and grow shallots is clearly shown and described in the video below:
Shallot Care
After sowing, the final stage in the cultivation of crops begins, which consists in the care of the seedlings. It involves some manipulation.
Watering
Throughout the growing season, the garden bed must be watered at least 3 times. In this case, a number of recommendations should be taken into account:
- Water the crop abundantly only after sowing. In the future, it is enough to simply moisten it, preventing excessive drying of the soil.
- When organizing watering, focus on weather conditions. On rainy days, refrain from additional moistening of the soil at all, and on dry days - water once every 7 days.
- 21-28 days before harvesting, minimize the introduction of nutrient moisture so that the feathers can turn yellow and dry completely.
- At the beginning of July, stop watering, otherwise the bushes will actively grow greenery, and the bulbs themselves will turn out to be very small.
Loosening and weeding
In order for the plant to receive enough oxygen, you need to regularly loosen the soil - 1-2 times a week. Such manipulation will not allow a thin crust to form on the surface of the soil, which prevents the uniform distribution of moisture to the plant roots.
Along with loosening, it is necessary to weed the area, eliminating rapidly growing weeds that clog useful plantings. Weeding is also considered an effective method of pest control and the prevention of viral diseases.
Top dressing
During the growing season, the crop must be fed at least 2 times, adhering to the following scheme:
- The first feeding - with the appearance of the first 3 feathers. You can fertilize the planting with various compositions:
- organic fertilizer - a solution of mullein (1:10) or bird droppings (1:15) at the rate of 1 bucket per 10 sq. m;
- a mixture of ammonium nitrate and superphosphate in a proportion of 10:10 g per 1 square. m;
- solution of 1 tbsp. urea or carbamide and 0.5 tbsp. potash fertilizer in a bucket of water.
- The second top dressing - at the stage of bulb formation or with the appearance of 5 feathers. During this period, the plant especially needs phosphorus and potassium, so it is worth feeding it with a mixture of 10 g of potassium chloride and 15 g of superphosphate in a bucket of water.
30 days before harvesting, completely stop all feeding, otherwise greens will actively form to the detriment of the bulbs.
Thinning
As soon as the arrows appear, they must be broken off immediately so that they do not reach 10 cm. In the first days of July, you also need to thin out the nests - shake off the ground from them and remove all the small heads along with the greens, leaving 5-6 of the most developed rudiments.
Doing so will yield larger bulbs. The harvested bulbs and feathers can be used for cooking or freezing.
How thinning of a family onion is carried out is shown in the video below:
Protection against diseases and pests
For shallots in rainy and cloudy weather, the following fungal pathologies are dangerous:
- powdery mildew;
- peronosporosis (downy mildew);
- neck rot;
- Fusarium wilt, etc.
Infected specimens will begin to cover with various lesions and gradually fade. It is almost impossible to save them, so it is necessary to dig up diseased plants as soon as possible and destroy them. The remaining planting must be treated with a fungicide - Mikosan, Quadris or Pentofag.
After spraying with chemicals, shallots should not be eaten for some time (the duration of exposure to toxic elements is indicated in the instructions for use of the drug).
The following pests are no less dangerous for shallots:
- Onion fly. Appears with cherry and dandelion blossoms. Due to the larvae of the fly, the tips of the leaves turn white, rot and completely fade. In the fight against the pest, the bushes and the soil around them must be treated with wood ash.
- Worms. To get rid of them, you need to pour the foliage of the plant with saline solution (1 glass of salt in 1 bucket of water).
- Onion nematode. Causes curvature of the bottom of the mother's bulb and infects the entire planting. To prevent the death of the entire crop, you must immediately remove the affected plants. The correct processing of planting material will help protect against nematodes - it must either be warmed up in warm water for 60 minutes, or soaked for several minutes in a 4% Formalin solution.
- Garden aphid. It settles on the feathers of the plant and gradually sucks out vital juices from them. In the fight against aphids, seedlings can be treated with a decoction of pepper, potato peel or pharmacy chamomile. Among chemical preparations, Verticillin is effective.
Harvesting and storage
From mid-July, you need to start cutting the feather, otherwise, during harvesting, you can cause the active growth of torches and the development of green feathers in them. The crop itself needs to be harvested at the end of July. The signal for this will be the drying and yellowing of most leaves, since this process is accompanied by the death of roots at the root.
Ripe bulbs need to be dug up with a shovel and carefully pulled out of the ground, and then shaken off and dried in the sun for 20-30 days. In cloudy weather, onion fruits extracted from the soil must be removed to a shaded place for drying for several days.
Dried leaves should be cut off, leaving only a thin neck 3-5 cm high. Next, dry heads should be disassembled into bulbs. They can be stored in boxes, crates or nets and stored in a dry and cool place. In this form, the vegetable can be stored from 5-7 to 12 months. At the same time, the bulbs should be inspected regularly, promptly removing rot-affected specimens.
You can store the extracted bulbs in frozen form. This is done in the following order:
- Peel the bulbs.
- Cut large heads into pieces.
- Moisten the bulbs slightly and place in the freezer to freeze.
- Transfer the frozen product into a plastic container and put it back into the freezer for storage.
Using the same technology, you can freeze shallots. With this storage, the vegetable retains all its beneficial properties.
How the shallot harvest is harvested can be seen in the video below:
A more tender and sweet analogue of onions is shallots, which even a novice gardener can grow. The plant easily adapts to adverse weather conditions and does not require careful maintenance. At the same time, the culture gives an excellent crop of feathers and bulbs for universal use. They can be eaten immediately or stored for up to 12 months.