Now they have flopped over. They have plenty of lush green leaves. Maybe too lush?
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| Floppy Shallots at left, upright Garlic just visible at right |
Is this an effect caused by a surfeit of rainwater (and consequent dearth of sunshine), or is it normal practice? I don't know, because I have only grown Shallots once before (a long time ago) and that was a total failure. However, some of you out there presumably grow Shallots every year and you will know the answer, so I'd love to hear your views please.
Looking closely at the Shallots underneath all that foliage it appears that they are doing OK.
Each one that I planted has duly separated into a number of new bulbs, though perhaps not as many as I had hoped. What is a normal yield, would you say? 5 or 6 new bulbs from each one planted? More?
The spare ones that I planted in a pot are in much the same condition:
Yes, you guessed it: floppy. But if they continue to develop as at present I still think they will deliver a worthwhile result. Actually I'm tempted to use the pot-grown ones as Spring Onions, though I suppose the taste might be very mild.
I'd be very interested to hear from anyone who can advise me on this. It isn't covered in any of the gardening books I own.
I wish I could help but I've only grown shallots once and it was decades ago.
ReplyDeleteI have the same problem, my previously upright stems are now laying down like they have surrendered. I noticed today that the foliage is starting to go yellow. I think it mud be the weather. not enough sun.. Look forward to seeing what response you get from people who know!
ReplyDeleteI'm in Omaha, Nebraska and mine look the same way! This is my first year growing them so I am no help, but at least we are floppy together!
ReplyDeleteMine haven't gone floppy so far and in all the years I have been growing them they have been flopless - are you sure something hasn't been laying on them - say, after having one glass of wine too many.
ReplyDeleteElaine, whatever are you suggesting?? We don't permit such shenannigans in our garden! Oh, unless our foxes are to blame maybe...But do they drink wine?
DeleteAlliums are not my strong point (I've found that leeks are the only ones I can rely on not to keel over with white rot.
ReplyDeleteBut lots of green = lots of nitrogen. The balance with phosphorous and potassium must have been upset (by all the water washing through). What fertilizer do you use on your alliums?
Too close together possibly? That's my ten cents worth.
ReplyDeleteMy floppies ..onion and garlic in my nursery bed, do the exact same thing right now..."I give up" they seem to say. Too close they are..and have long suspected that is the reason. Still, they are fine Mark. You might not get as big a crop planted further apart...but all will be well!!
..as big a crop if you had planted them further apart....sorry..typed too fast in the first comment.
DeleteMine have flopped but it has never been a problem with taste or production. The rain often causes this followed by lack of sun. Im in Australia.
ReplyDeleteMine tend to go floppy but only when they have developed a lot more bulbs than yours seem to. The green stalks on yours look very long which I'm guessing could be either too much nitrogen, a lack of sunlight or indeed too much water. It might also just be the variety you are growing. Regardless of the cause the tops are still very green so my feeling is that they are a fair way from finishing bulb development so I would leave them until the tops go really yellow.
ReplyDeleteI must admit I did have quite a giggle over you're title Mark...but then you knew I would....but I realise you need help!!!
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, I'm in with the crowd of never experiencing floppy! (cough ;D)
I hope you sort out the problem soon as I know how upsetting this can be.
Hey the sun's shining here ~ hope it is with you too!
Have a great gardening week.
Eat the ones in the pot! I have always treated my shallots like spring onions cause I can' wait for them to multiply and die back. I have been known to pull them up and bunch them for the market and if they didn't sell, put them back in the gaqrden to continue growing. They have never minded this out of garden experience!
ReplyDeleteIt's probably down to the weather, that's what I'm blaming anything that goes wrong this year on. I would say they're ready to harvest when they start flopping over, but the tops go yellow and your's haven't. I'd leave them, they'll probably put on lots more growth yet.
ReplyDeleteHmmm.... Only grown them 2x, this being the second, no problems with floppies yet I'm going with much rain and lack of sun.
ReplyDeleteHi Mark - I've not read all the comments here so I hope I'm not repeating what someone else has said but on Jamie Oliver's gardening website he says that when shallots go yellowy and floppy they are nearly ready to dig up. You should give them 2 weeks from when they start dying back and then start digging. See link here http://www.jamieoliver.com/gardening/article.php?id=25
ReplyDeleteHope that helps!
xxx
mine have done the same, so I pulled some up, they seem to be big enough.
ReplyDeleteI left the smaller ones, maybe they ll get bigger.
This is my first time.
Ours looked like that 2 weeks ago but now the leaves have died off and there are a load of not completly split bulbs lying in the ground. I have no idea what to do. Thankfully I did two plantings one in early march and one in late April. The ones in late April have already grown bigger than the ones that I planted in early March!
ReplyDelete