Question: growing shallots?
By: Ken
Published: September 25, 2010

Shallots, shallots…
On July 16, I purchased shallots from my local supermarket (Safeway) and planted them in pots using Miracle Gro Potting Mix, keeping them indoors because of Hawaii’s warm weather. One week later they sprouted and in one month they were 21 inches tall. This means they were growing at a rate of one inch per day. I have since been advised that this is “unheard of”. At that point, I began to take them outside (in the shade of my garage) for several hours a day in order to prevent this elongated growth.
They continued to grow so quickly I had to purchase tomato stakes to keep them upright and they are now 44 inches tall. There are no signs of flowering so far.
So my questions are:
What do I do now?
How do I know if they will produce shallots?
Does anyone have detailed advice on growing these?
Thanks so much for your help.
Sincerely,
Ken

Answers:
Curt

Shallots grow like onions and garlic.....under the ground. You'll have to pull them up and check them out.  There are many websites on the internet that talk about shallots.
Chris Paulk

Ken
Contact Brian or Cristine at Uprising Organics. They grow the most incredible shallots and have all the varieties you could hope for. They'll be able to give you the BEST tips!
http://www.uprisingorganics.com/
Marie

It sounds as though all the energy of the plant went into producing the tops and not into producing the bulb.  I'd suggest contacting your local agricultural extension agent who should be able to provide you with recommendations regarding the shallot variety that will grow best in Hawaii and growing guidelines for that variety.