Varieties of shallots: early, mid-season, late. Shallot on green feather and turnip. Cultivation, care, storage and reproduction. Winter and spring planting of shallots

Shallot got its name from the Latin, which in Russian sounds like "Ashkelon Onion". Due to the peculiarities of reproduction, the people acquired the name "kuschevka": for the ability to germinate in the form of a nest of small onions, similar in texture to an unfolded head of garlic. In such a "nest" there are from 5 to 40 onions, depending on the type and care. After drying, such a "nest" disintegrates. Both leaves and bulbs are eaten. Bulbs look like ordinary onions, only much smaller in size: about 2-3 cm in diameter, weight 20-30 g. Shallot contains not only a large number of useful and nutritious, but also has excellent taste. Unlike onions, shallots contain large quantity minerals, vitamins, sugar.

Shallot began to grow in Central Asia. Now especially common in Western Europe, Ukraine, Moldova, Belarus, in Central and Western parts Russia, North Caucasus, Transcaucasia. Shallots are a member of the onion family that look like regular onions. But inside its head consists of several cloves, like garlic. In medicine, it is used to treat eye diseases and diseases of all organs of the gastrointestinal tract. Medicinal properties far exceed those of onion. It has excellent nutritional qualities. The organic compounds that make up shallots have a significant antibacterial and anti-cold effect, lower cholesterol, and an abundance of vitamins improves immunity. AT traditional medicine Shallot is widely used as an external anti-inflammatory wound healing agent.

1. Early ripeness. 30 days after planting, it is already possible to cut the greens, and after 70 days the onions ripen.
2. Excellent storage properties. At room temperature persists and does not germinate during the year.
3. Vegetative propagation method.
4. Frost-resistant. Onions are perfectly planted in winter or immediately after winter, in the ground slightly warmed by the sun.
5. Feathers are narrow, thin, long-lasting.
6. Onions, when cut, do not cause lacrimation.

Varieties of Shallots

There are early, medium and late-ripening varieties of shallots, according to taste characteristics - sweet, semi-sharp and spicy varieties. Husk color also comes in different shades, depending on the variety. There are about 60 varieties of shallots. Here are the most common: The benefits and harms of shallots are widely discussed by many experts. Compared to its onion counterpart, shallots are more dietary product. It contains a large amount ascorbic acid, essential oils, a variety of vitamins and minerals.

1. Airat. Productivity - 1.6 kg per 1 m². These are round bulbs with light yellow husks, weight 15 g. There are 5-7 bulbs in the "nest".
2. Albic. Semi-sharp mid-season variety suitable for planting before winter. The shape of the bulb is elliptical, weight 20-30 g. There are 4-8 bulbs in the "nest". Productivity - 15−25 tons per 1 ha.
3. Banana shallot. It is a hybrid of garlic and onion. The sweetest of all shallot varieties. Bulbs are light in color, oblong in shape, which is why they got their name.
4. Bonilla F1. Mid-season semi-sharp variety. In one place you can plant for 5 years. Harvest - 1.5 kg per 1 m². Vegetation approximately 85 days. All bulbs have yellow- Brown color, in shape - rounded, weighing 30-40 g. In the "nest" 4-8 bulbs.
5. Emerald. Early ripe semi-sharp variety. The predicted yield is 1.3 kg per 1 m². Vegetation approximately 80 days. The bulbs are rounded, with a pinkish-brown husk, white inside, weighing 20-30 g each. There are 4-5 bulbs in the "nest".
6. Cascade. The turnip yield is 17.5 tons per 1 ha, the green onion yield is approximately 35.5 tons per 1 ha. Grown from a two-year-old set. The bulbs are egg-shaped, oval in shape, the color of the husk is light pink, weighing 30–35 g. There are 4–6 bulbs in the “nest”. Early ripe.
7. Kuban. Vegetation 80−90 days. Bulbs are round or flat. Weight 25-30 g. In the "nest" 3-4 onions. The color of the husk is yellow-brown. Recommended for planting in the Nizhnevolzhsky region of Russia. Mid-season.
8. Family. Its bulbs are round in shape, the husk is purple, inside the bulbs are white, weight is 17-23 g. In the "nest" there are an average of 2-4 bulbs. High resistance to many diseases. Early ripe.
9. Sprint. Vegetation 40−70 days. In the nest from 5 to 10 bulbs weighing 30-40 g each. It is planted in order to obtain early bulbs and grow green onions in greenhouses or open ground. Early ripe.
10. Uralsky-40. Vegetation - 60 days. Bulbs are oval oblong with yellow husks. In the "nest" 4-5 bulbs, weighing from 50 to 100 g each. Designed for growing in any area. Mid-season.

Gastronomic properties of onions

To obtain young greenery, special greenhouses are used. Onions are grown in containers and boxes. An ordinary window sill in an apartment is suitable for growing all year round.

The delicate delicate taste of onion, devoid of bitterness, is appreciated by gourmets around the world. Therefore, shallots are very popular in cooking. Shallots are very popular in cooking. various countries. Raw bulbs like to add to vegetable salads due to the lack of aftertaste and bad breath after this onion. The texture of the onion is dense with silky flesh, the onion itself has a pleasant sweet or semi-sweet delicate taste and a rather pleasant aroma. When cooking onions, a thick aroma and a spicy taste appear, which does not clog the aroma of other ingredients at all. French chefs use this variety of onion to prepare the national onion soup.

Planting and caring for shallots

Planting shallots in open ground in early spring or before winter. For planting use seeds, sevok or uterine bulbs.

Preparation of planting material for planting:

1. To prevent diseases, 7 days before planting, the planting material is kept for about 9 hours at a constant air temperature of 40 ° C.
2. A few hours before planting, the bulbs are soaked in warm ordinary water (approximately 30 ° C).
3. To prevent fungal diseases, the bulbs are soaked in a solution of potassium permanganate (2 g of potassium permanganate is dissolved in 2 liters of water). Planting material is kept in this solution for approximately 6 hours.

Loose fertile soil is suitable for growing shallots. Growing and caring for a quality shallot requires plenty of open, sunny space due to the many feathery leaves that cast shade. Dig up the soil and add organic and mineral fertilizers.

Bulbs are simply placed in the ground, without pressing. The distance between the beds is 30 cm, and between the seedlings themselves in a row - 15 cm. Planting depth varies depending on the season. In spring, they are planted to a depth of approximately 6 cm, and in winter, approximately 10 cm. The quality of the planted bulbs affects the future harvest. Large bulbs give a much larger amount of greenery. The first watering is done 10 days after planting. After that, it is advisable to water the onions at least once every 7 days.

If a very large number of bulbs are formed in the nests, then they are all small in size. To obtain the most enlarged and nutritious bulbs, "nests" can be normalized (thinned out). At the same time, the soil is very carefully raked and several onions are separated, freeing up more space for the rest. The remaining bulbs gain more nutrients and grow juicier and larger. Harvest when all the onion leaves lie on the ground. It is necessary to dry the bulbs under a canopy, excluding direct sunlight. The storage temperature of shallots is room temperature, and if stored in a colder room, then it will last more than a year.

Seed harvesting

Shallots: growing from seed. When growing this onion in a perennial culture, its yield and nutritional qualities are significantly reduced. It is necessary to update the planting material. To do this, onions are propagated using seeds. To this end, when landing, the bow is often left for shooting. If planted in the spring, then 10% of the onion is left for shooting, and if in the fall, then 70%. Seeds are only on bulbs weighing at least 60 g. Usually these bulbs produce up to 4 arrows. Collect seeds every 3 years. Bulbs of the current year of planting are used for sowing, and two- and three-year-old bulbs are used for seeds. Shallot seeds are small, they are sown at approximately 0.5 g per 1 m².

Diseases of shallots

One of the pests of shallots is the onion nematode. It is characterized by a white curvature near the bottom of the bulb. When culling, such an onion must be removed, otherwise you can infect the entire area by introducing the pest along with the seed. Onions affected by the onion nematode are soaked for 1 hour in water heated to a temperature of approximately 45 ° C.

Another common pest is aphids. To get rid of aphids, use chamomile, hot peppers and potato peels in the form of decoctions. The stores have special agent- Verticillin.

During the period of active flowering of plants (cherries and milkweed), an onion fly may appear. When affected, the bulbs begin to rot, and the onion leaves wither. For prevention, distracting materials should be laid out between the rows, for example, rags soaked in turpentine, tansy, and wormwood.

Against fungal diseases, drugs Mikosan, Pentafag are used.

Onion - irreplaceable plant in the arsenal of almost all housewives. It gives spiciness to dishes and enhances their palatability, and the characteristic smell provides culinary products with a pleasant aroma. Most often in our kitchens you can find onions, but there are other equally worthy varieties. In particular, these plants include shallot, which is described below.

Characteristics of shallots. Difference from onion

The characteristics and characteristics of shallots, including those related to its cultivation, are very close to those of onions. The main difference lies in the very strong branching, smaller bulbs and their better keeping.

By external signs, shallots are slightly smaller than onions, but the leaves are the same fistulous(only in this case narrow), subulate and reach a length of 20-40 cm. The color of the leaf plates of this species is dark green, with a slight wax coating. On the branches there are 7-10 leaves at once.

The bulbs themselves can be oval, round or flat-round, although most often it is irregular (due to the close proximity of the bulbs in the nest). In the dry state of the plant, the color of the scales is light yellow, bronze, brown-yellow, pinkish, gray-violet or purple, while the color of the succulent scales of the bulbs is white, greenish or pale purple.

All bulbs of shallots are multi-primary, with a diameter of 1.5 to 4 cm. Peduncles reach a height of 70-100 cm and have almost no swelling. The inflorescence is spherical and is represented by a multi-flowered umbrella. Pedicels are usually 2-3 times longer than the flowers themselves.

Perianth petals are painted white, greenish or pinkish, with a dark central vein. The seeds are somewhat smaller than in the onion nigella, and in some cases air bulbs are formed in the inflorescences.

As for the agricultural technology of growing shallots, it is almost the same as that of onions. However, there are some differences that have to be considered. For example, shallots prefer old-arable, fertile soils more, and texture they should be heavier than for onions.

In addition, it is better if you plant the plant in the place of the former growth legumes. If shallots have already grown on the site, then it can be planted here no earlier than in 3-4 years.

From one bulb planted, you can get a nest with 40 new specimens, the total weight of which is usually about 600-900 g. But how much does one shallot bulb weigh? Depending on the variety, its weight on average varies from 15 to 30 g.

First of all, the described culture is grown for the sake of juicy, tender and vitamin greens, although small, well-preserved bulbs are no less important.

Shallot - early ripening, and this is another difference from onions. If you are in the zone temperate climate, then the planted bulbs will ripen within 70-80 days after the appearance of the leaves, and they begin to cut the greens already 28-30 days after planting. However, this issue should also be taken into account weather, which can affect the ripening time (within two weeks).

If you decide to plant shallots on your site, then you probably already know that this plant is rich in nutrients and vitamins B1, B2 and PP, as well as carotene and all the necessary salts that are beneficial to the body.

Did you know?The first mention of this type of bow dates back to 1261. In the middle of the XIII century, shallots, along with onions and garlic quickly gained popularity throughout Normandy.

Choice of landing site

Any onion requires properly prepared fertile soil, and it is imperative that it be loose, fertilized and completely free of weeds. In addition, the precursor plants are also an important factor. As mentioned above, you should not plant shallots in the same area for several years in a row.

The interval between plantings should be at least 3-4 years. Also, this species does not tolerate the neighborhood with onions, so if this plant grows nearby, it is better to find another place. Such spatial isolation is needed not only so that these two species do not intersect, but also to protect the plant from the invasion of common pests.

Under autumn plowing, humus should be added, at the rate of 4-6 kg / m².

Did you know? The best soil for planting shallots are moist humus-sandy or light humus loams, but the plant yields especially well on alluvial silty soils located in warm river valleys.

Features of planting shallots

Despite the fact that most onion crops are planted with the advent of spring, shallots also tolerate autumn planting. Each of these options has its own characteristics of the process, so we will consider each of them separately.

autumn planting

At first glance, the answer to the question "When to plant shallots?" quite predictable, but in some cases the standard spring planting can be replaced by autumn.

When planting shallots before winter (usually done in mid-October), it is important that it takes root, but does not begin to grow, since in this state he will have a better chance of successfully enduring the winter frosts. After planting the bulbs to a depth of 2-4 cm, the beds are mulched with peat, which will help the plant cope with severe sub-zero temperatures.

Important!Shallots can withstand temperatures as low as -20°C, retaining their vitality even after freezing, however autumn planting still preferable for the southern regions.

During the winter landing in middle lane summer residents usually lose up to 50% of planted bulbs,moreover, if small specimens are more resistant to low temperatures, then a large crop almost completely dies.

Nevertheless, there are certain advantages of winter landing. For example, an overwintered onion forms more leaves than one that was planted in the spring. By planting shallots in the fall, after the snow melts, you will have the earliest greens.

spring planting

Given that shallots are not afraid of frost, they are planted in the ground as early as April. In this case, the “family” (the second name of this species) manages to be well saturated with melt water, and the active growth of onions falls on the longest daylight hours of the year. If you are going to use planted onions only on greens, then the distance between the rows should be 20 cm, and between the bulbs themselves - 10 cm.

With this scheme, every third plant can be used for greenery. In the case when the harvest of the bulbs themselves is more preferable, they are planted a little less often, adhering to the 20 x 15 scheme. When planting very large bulbs, you can leave up to 30 cm between them, and their deepening into the soil should be carried out to a depth of 5 cm.

For planting in early spring, bulbs are selected, the mass of which is at least 9-10 g (it turns out 190-250 g per 1 m²), and the diameter in the middle corresponds to 3 centimeters.

Trying to answer the question "How to grow shallots in the country?", You will probably learn about seed way reproduction of this culture. In this case, the landing process is as follows: onion seeds are sown in grooves up to 3 cm deep, after keeping them in a wet gauze bag for 48 hours. After sowing, planting grooves should be sprinkled with peat or compost.

It must be noted that vegetative way growing shallots is much more efficient and much more convenient, since the seeds of this species ripen very poorly.

Cultivation and care

In the process of growing shallots, one should adhere to certain agrotechnical rules, which, first of all, provide for compliance with the regime of irrigation, loosening, fertilizing and weeding the soil.

Watering, loosening and weeding the soil

We have already figured out how to plant shallots in spring or in autumn period, however, this information is not enough for a plentiful and high-quality harvest. The fact is that watering plants plays an equally important role, which should be regular in the first half of the growing season.

That is from May to mid-July, the introduction of liquid into the soil is carried out 3-4 times a week, and in especially hot and dry weather, the amount of watering is additionally increased. In the second half of summer, their frequency is reduced, completely stopping the introduction of liquid 2-3 weeks before harvest.

According to general rules growing onions, watering the plants is carried out as needed, but so that the soil is slightly moistened, and not flooded. In addition, after each application of liquid, the aisle should be loosened to a depth of 3-5 cm, and two to three times per season, loosening is performed to a depth of 5-6 cm.

Important!When performing the procedure, it is not necessary to add soil to the plants themselves, as this will slow down the process of bulb ripening.

When growing shallots in greenhouse conditions shallow loosening of the soil is performed after each watering.

To obtain a large crop in the middle of summer, some of the bulbs are removed from the nest, leaving only the largest specimens (5-6 pieces) in it. Such a kind of weeding is performed as follows: the earth is carefully raked off and, together with the feather, the smallest onions are pulled out of it. You should also collect all the weeds that can only be found in the soil.

Fertilization

The quality of the future harvest is significantly affected by the timeliness of top dressing. For example, adding fresh organic fertilizers contributes to the formation of massive feathers and loose, unsuitable for storage bulbs in shallots, therefore, three-year-old manure is more suitable for top dressing. In the year of the proposed onion sowing, the land should be fertilized, for which it is better to use decomposed rotted compost.

In order for shallots to grow and develop normally, during the growing season, plants spend two top dressings: first- 2 weeks after the regrowth of the bulbs (used as a fertilizer bird droppings or mullein, diluted in water in a ratio of 1: 1), and the second- at the beginning of the formation of bulbs. In the first case, diluted slurry 1:5 is also suitable for the role of fertilizer (one bucket should be enough for 10 m²).

In the absence of organic fertilizers, they can be replaced with mineral ones. For example, 10 g/m² ammonium nitrate and 10-15 g / m² of superphosphate. Organics can also be replaced during the second stage of onion fertilization. In this case, for 1 m² of plantings, you will need 10-15 g of potassium chloride and 10-15 g of superphosphate.

Diseases and pests of shallots

The main cause of shallot diseases is long-term use the same planting material without updating it. The fact is that over time, an infection accumulates in it and it is often possible to find bulbs affected by gray rot, due to which the crop is poorly preserved.

Therefore, after three to four years of active use, it is necessary either to purchase other planting material, or to grow it yourself from seeds.

To protect shallots from the accumulation of infections, which are also clearly visible when preparing the bulbs for planting, or to protect them from pest attacks, crop rotation or combination on the same bed is often used. different cultures. For example, limit mass distribution onion fly planting shallots and carrots on one bed will help.

is a herbaceous biennial plant, the first mention of which dates back to the 13th century. Currently, residents of the Far East, Ukraine and Kazakhstan are engaged in the cultivation of this crop. Abroad, this variety is grown in Greece, India and Egypt. Unfortunately, in our beds this variety is a very rare guest. It is often also called shallotka, busher and shrike.

Despite the fact that in size the bulbs are significantly inferior to simple onions, it is this variety is the most profitable culture for cultivation. Shallots ripen very quickly, their bulbs are well stored, remaining fresh for a long time. During storage, the bulbs do not sprout and do not dry out. Ordinary onions ripen in at least 3-3.5 months, and shallots usually ripen 20-30 days faster. Green feathers are ready for use within a month after planting, and the bulbs themselves are not harvested until the onset of cold weather. This type is very different fragrant herbs that can stay fresh for a long time.

By appearance shallots are similar to garlic, its bulb also consists of many slices, on average there are 8-10 pieces. Coloring from white to purple, and the average weight of the bulb is from 30 to 50 grams. The leaves are very thin, they are valued for their taste properties because they are mild, tender and do not drown out the taste of other dishes. A great distinguishing ability is that shallots practically do not cause tears.

Exists many varieties of this crop:

1. Sir-7;
2. Belozerets-94;
3. Star;
4. Kunak;
5. Kuban yellow;
6. Zaporozhye.

According to taste, they are divided into:

• sweet;
• peninsular.

By maturity:

• early;
• medium;
• later.

Different varieties distinguishes the color of the scales, the number of bulbs in the nest in each species is also different. The shape is also different: rounded, elongated and rounded flat.

Shallots are not afraid of cold weather. Optimum temperature for growing it is 20 degrees, but the seeds can begin to germinate already at 4 degrees Celsius, and they will not disappear even with frost up to 5 degrees. But even after cold weather, the bulbs do not rot, they are able to come to life and give leaves again.

Planting and caring for shallots

Plant this type of onion in the earliest spring. Bulbs are selected with a diameter of more than 3 centimeters, while their weight should be about 10 grams. Like an ordinary onion, it should be planted in rows, which should be at a distance of 20-30 centimeters from each other. They need to be sunk to a depth of 5 centimeters, and the distance between the bulbs should be 7 centimeters. After planting, be sure to sprinkle the beds with ashes abundantly to protect the plants from the onion fly.

If you grow onions in the same place from year to year, then it is worth remembering that the bush will degenerate. That's why it is advisable to change the beds sometimes. It is best to plant it exactly where carrots, beans or peas used to grow. At the same time, planting Shallots is far away from other varieties of onions, as it has the ability to interbreed with other crops.

No special care for this culture is required. It is necessary to remove weeds, water as needed, fertilize and loosen the ground. For top dressing, you can use both organic and mineral fertilizers. Plants require abundant watering only at the beginning of the growing season; at normal times, it should be watered only once a week in dry and hot weather. But it is necessary to stop watering one month before the harvest is to be harvested.

After harvesting the onion must be dried. It is best to do this right in the garden, if the weather is warm and sunny. If there are short-term rains, then you can construct a canopy, an example is shown in the photo, under which to hide harvested crop. And only when all the greens are dry can the onion be woven into braids, so it is more convenient to store it.

Shrike can be grown at home in pots. If you give a plant good care, then it will delight not only with delicate and fragrant greens for the table, but also with onions.

Useful and dangerous properties

Shalotka contains many minerals, vitamins, more sugar and ascorbic acid than onions. It also contains a large amount of iron, phosphorus and potassium. For a very long time, this culture has been used in medicine: for the treatment of the digestive system and for the treatment of eye ailments. The use of shallots in food also helps to prevent the occurrence of cancer.

Shallots can cause an exacerbation in kidney diseases, with bronchial spasms. It is contraindicated in people suffering from diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, as it contains hyperacidity. It can also lead to difficulty urinating if consumed in excess.

AT last years shallots, the photo of which you will see below, comes to replace onion, it is increasingly used in cooking in many countries. It is valued for its wonderful aroma and mild taste. This species is often called a delicacy, it is preferred by gourmets all over the world.

Shallot can even be used as decorative ornament, which can decorate any garden bed or flower bed.

Shallots and their varieties

Consists of individual slices. Gained popularity among gardeners for its precocity and the ability to use it in cooking all year round: in spring and summer, juicy, green shoots are harvested, and in cold weather, the bulbs themselves are used. Compared with characterized by a high content various trace elements and vitamins. It is a dietary product.

The culture will not require much attention during the growing process . The varieties that are presented will satisfy even the most demanding gardener.

Airat

Shallot Airat belongs to mid-season varieties. It has a sharp taste. Great for growing on summer cottages. The yield is about 1.5 kg per 1 sq. m. The fruit is round in shape with a dry, yellow color. The average bulb weight is 15 g. About five bulbs are formed in one nest.

The mid-season variety of shallots Albic is characterized by suitability for winter planting and long term fruit storage. Bulbs have a semi-sharp taste, elongated shape. The mass of one is 30 g. Albic onions have 62 days. Dry scales are yellow in color, and juicy are green. The yield of this variety ranges from 13 to 25 t/ha.

Early variety shallots. The fruits have a sharp taste, weighing up to 27 g. They can be either round or oval. It takes 75-85 days for the bulbs to mature. The color of dry scales is light lilac with yellow patches, juicy - from purple to lilac. Onion Belozerets-94 is characterized by a yield of up to 14 t/ha. The fruits are attractive appearance, are characterized by good keeping quality. An excellent option for the North Caucasus region.

Mid-season variety grown as an annual from seed. From 1 sq. m collect up to 1.5 kg of fruit. Bulbs weighing about 35 g have a semi-sharp taste. Vegetation period - 85-87 days. In one nest grows from four rounded bulbs. Dry skins are colored yellow-brown. The fruits keep well. The variety gives stable yields.

Important! Bonnila F1 onions are not recommended to be grown in one place for more than five years.

This early ripe variety of shallots is intended for cultivation in winter and spring, on a green feather. The fruits are characterized by a sharp taste. From the first shoots to the formation of foliage, about 20 days pass, after 65-70 days the feathers fall en masse. This variety of shallots has an onion mass of up to 30 g. The color of dry scales is yellow, and in the middle the fruit is white.

Semi-sharp mid-season variety. It is used to obtain greenery and both indoors and outdoors. open field. The growing season lasts 51 days. The taste of the bulbs is round-flat in shape - semi-sharp, weight - about 30 g. The upper layer of the fruit has a brown color with a grayish tint. Productivity - from 14 to 24.5 tons per 1 ha.

Shallot Guran is grown as a biennial crop. Semi-sharp, mid-season variety. The bulbs are round in shape, weighing up to 30 g. Dry scales are colored light brown with a grayish tinge. 4-5 bulbs are formed in one nest. The yield is 1.7 kg / sq.m.

Early variety. It is grown as a two-year-old crop from sowing. The fruits are characterized by a sharp taste. The mass of one is 35 g. The bulbs are shaped like an egg. The top layer is dyed pink color, inside the fruit also has a pinkish tint. From one hectare you can collect more than 35 tons of green feathers and more than 17 tons of fruits.

Important! Shallot Cascade has a very high keeping quality.

Krepysh is particularly resistant to rot and bolting. Semi-sharp mid-late variety. The growing season lasts 55-70 days. The fruits are covered with dry pink scales. Krepysh is characterized by the yield of the variety 13.0 - 21.5 t/ha. In one nest, 5-7 bulbs weighing up to 50 g are formed. Suitable for winter replanting.

Mid-season semi-sharp variety. The mass of one bulb reaches up to 30 g. It takes 80-95 days to ripen. Up to four rounded and rounded-flat fruits grow in the nest. The color of the top layer of the bulb is brown-yellow, and the core is white, with green tint. The yield is 17-27 t/ha.

Did you know? This variety easily tolerates drought.

Popular universal variety. Mid-season, peninsular. It takes 80-95 days for the bulbs to fully mature. has an oval-round shape. The average bulb weight is 27 g. From above it is painted brown-yellow with a purple tint, in the middle the scales are light, purple. From 1 square meter, 1.0-1.5 kg of fruits are harvested.

Shallots Family is particularly resistant to diseases and. The variety is early maturing. Grown as a biennial crop. The bulbs are round in shape, semi-sharp in taste, gain weight up to 22 g. One nest forms up to four fruits.

Mid-late variety is perfect for growing on. The taste of the bulbs is semi-sharp. The growing season of the culture is 56-59 days. In the nest, 6-7 bronze-colored fruits weighing up to 30 g are formed. The yield of bulbs is 20 t/ha, early greens - 11.5 t/ha, green feathers - 30 t/ha.

Relatively recently, beyond the Urals and in Siberia, because of its properties and cultivation characteristics, shallots have become popular among gardeners. In European countries, neighboring countries, Far East and the Caucasus, it has been loved and grown for a long time. First of all, shallots are loved because of the fragrant, vitamin, tender and juicy greens, precocity and winter hardiness. Delicate, sweet, not causing tears and giving fast and high yields, onions are the dream of any gardener and gourmet.

Description and main advantages of shallots

It's perennial herbaceous plant from onions forms "family nests", therefore, in the people it is often called "family". Its slightly elongated bulbs have a weight of 20 to 50 grams and thin scales. Shallot feathers are delicate, thin and begin to coarsen very late.

Unlike onions, shallots contain more solids, so they are suitable for drying. Until the next harvest, it can be perfectly preserved at room conditions.

Benefits of shallots:

1. Shallots are suitable for growing on a windowsill, as a lot of greenery is obtained from a compact bunch of a plant.
2. High yield is formed due to the mass of the nest of 150-300 grams, in which up to 10 bulbs can form.
3. Fast and gentle distillation.
4. It is stored for a long time, while not germinating.
5. Does not lose its qualities within 8-12 months.
6. Early drying and aging of the leaves protects the plant from neck rot and downy mildew.
7. The friendly lodging of feathers at the end of summer allows you to get well-ripened bulbs in the fall.
8. Bulbs have a short growing season and, as a result, early ripening.

Shallot bulbs and leaves contain many useful substances:

• minerals;
• ascorbic acid;
• essential oil;
• mineral salts of iron, phosphate, calcium, potassium;
• B vitamins;
• phytoncides;
• carotenoids.

Shallots differ in dietary and some medicinal properties. It is used to treat some stomach and eye diseases.

Onion varieties differ in taste, degree of branching, scale color and ripening time.

Early ripe varieties of shallots

Mid-season varieties

1. "Albic"- a variety with a growing season of 62 days, high yield and lightness. Transverse eleptic bulbs can weigh up to 30 grams and have yellow scales. In the nest usually formed from 3 to 8 pieces of heads.
2. 'Bonnila F 1' is semi-sharp and has a growing season of 82-87 days. More than four heads ripen in the nest, the weight of each of which can be up to 40 grams. The variety gives stable yields of bulbs and greens, is well stored and can grow in one place for up to five years.
3. "Garant" is a semi-sharp variety with round-flat heads and a growing season of about 50 days. The mass of bulbs, which are from 3 to 10 pieces in a nest, can reach 32 grams. The variety is recommended for cultivation in open and closed ground for bulbs and herbs.
4. "Earring"- a very productive hybrid with a growing season of up to 58 days. From 4 to 10 rounded bulbs with a mass of 25-40 grams are formed in the nest. Culture can be cultivated in any region. The variety is resistant to rot and bolting, keeps well and is suitable for mechanical harvesting.
5. "Chapaevsky" - shallots universal use which has a growing season of 66 days. Rounded bulbs have a mass of about 40 grams and light purple scales. 5-8 heads are formed in the nest. The variety is rarely affected by peronosporosis, it is well and long stored, suitable for cultivation in the Central Black Earth region.

Medium late varieties of shallots

Features of growing shallots

To grow a crop, highly fertile loose soils with a neutral reaction are needed. Experienced gardeners recommend planting onions after cucumbers, tomatoes, potatoes, cabbage or legumes.

Distance between rows depends on the size of the planting material:

• 20-30 cm for large bulbs;
• 15-18 - for medium;
• 8-10 - for small ones.

Before planting planting material, on the beds are made furrows 5-6 cm deep which flow well but do not compact. Planted bulbs are sprinkled with 2-3 centimeters of earth. When planting, it should be remembered that with a strong deepening, the emergence of seedlings will be delayed.

Planting onions in spring

Shallots are best planted in early spring. A culture planted in late spring or autumn does not ripen for a long time and is poorly stored.

The best time for planting is the end of April-beginning of May. At this time, the soil has already warmed up well and there is enough moisture in it for the seedlings to take root. Shoots will appear in about 10-14 days.

When planting shallots in late spring, when the soil is dry and its temperature is elevated, seedlings may appear only after 20-30 days. In dry soil in hot weather leaves grow faster than the roots, the photoperiodic growth regime is disrupted, as a result of which the bulbs do not have time to ripen.

Planting onions in autumn

By choosing frost-resistant varieties with a reduced percentage of shooting, in the second or third decade of September, shallots can be planted before winter.

Advantages of autumn planting:

• storage of planting material is not required;
• in comparison with spring planting, the bulbs ripen 10-12 days earlier;
• plants rooted in autumn use spring moisture reserves in the soil more efficiently;
• greenery harvesting is possible already in the first half of June.

Shallot Care

Frequent watering culture does not require. In dry weather, it is necessary to ensure that the onion is watered when mass shoots appear, that is, at the end of May. On average, no more than three waterings are required per season.

During the period active growth between the rows do weeding and loosening. When the leaves grow back, this will help destroy the eggs of the onion fly.

To make the bulbs larger, the nests are thinned out in early July, removing entirely two or three shoots, leaving to ripen three or four. Watering and feeding plants during this period of time is not recommended. With excess nutrition and moisture in the middle of summer, only leaf formation will continue, and the bulbs will ripen poorly.

Until the arrows have grown to 10 centimeters, they must be broken out at the exit from the sinus. Otherwise, only greens will continue to grow.

Harvesting and storing shallots

At the end of the first decade of July, early ripe varieties, and by the beginning of August, the leaves of the mid-season and mid-late varieties of shallots begin to fall. This is a signal to harvest, the delay of which can lead to a reduction in the shelf life of the bulbs.

Early ripe varieties should be harvested at the end of the second decade of July, and the remaining varieties - in the first decade of August. Shallots are a delicate plant, therefore, on open sunshine dug up shoots are not recommended. It is better to dry the crop under some kind of canopy.

During the year, the crop will retain its valuable qualities when stored at a relative humidity of 60-70% and at temperatures from 0C to +10C. planting material should be kept at more high temperature up to +20С.

Thanks to their small tasty bulbs and early tender greens, shallots are valued all over the world. In addition, the culture is highly dietary properties and medicinal characteristics, which are much more than those of turnips. Shallot is a favorite spice in French cuisine. It is used for fresh and pickled food, as well as for flavoring meat, poultry, soups, sauces.

Shallot