'Matador F1' Shallot Plants

Our vegetable plug plants are bred for good pest and disease resistance, but may still be susceptible to common problems. Downy mildew can be a problem especially if plants are too close together. To avoid this ensure there is plenty of room for light to reach the base of plants and for air to circulate. When watering, apply directly to the soil and not overhead. Onion white rot is another possible problem. This is a soil borne fungus, which causes the leaves to turn yellow and a white fluffy fungus will then appear at the base of the bulbs - avoid planting in infected areas and keep the planting area tidy and free of debris.

When you first plant your shallot plants give them a good water, then keep the soil consistently moist. Usually until June the UK rain will take care of that, but, if there are any dry spells, you should go out and feel the soil. If the soil is dry to the touch, then give the plant some water. As shallot plants have shallow roots it is important to always be vigilant and to ensure that the soil does not dry out. It is also important to see if the soil is draining away well. If the soil becomes soggy this will rot the bulbs.

Shallot plants do best when planted in full sun but can deal with a little partial shade. Position them where they will get 6-8 hours of sunshine every day.

Shallots will grow well in fertile, well-draining soil. If you are planting your shallots in the ground it is recommended that you rake in a layer of garden compost into the surface layer as onions have very shallow roots. If your soil is very clay-heavy or sandy, then mix in quality compost at a rate of three parts compost to one part topsoil to use as your soil.

Shallots will get all of their nutrients from the soil. If possible, cover the soil you would like to use with well-rotted manure the previous autumn to give it some slow-releasing nutrients and to also improve its texture.