***Shallots and garlic will begin shipping Wednesday, August 19th.
Allium cepa var. aggregatum
Origin: Viroqua, Wisconsin
Improvement status: Cultivar
Pricing options:
1/2 Pound: $14.50
1 Pound: $25
3 Pounds: $70
BOTANICAL SAMPLE - NOT GERMINATION TESTED
Life cycle: Perennial (grown as biennial)
The 'Driftless Red Dutch' Shallot was stewarded by the homesteader seedsman Tom Jerde in southwest Wisconsin beginning in 2016, and handed off to our friend and grower Dylan Bruce in 2022. These shallots are very well adapted to fall planting in northern climates, even without mulch!
There are roughly 20 individual bulbs, give or take, in a pound.
One bulb planted in the fall generally yields a nice nest of 6-8 bulbs the following year (harvested in July in Wisconsin). It is similar to planting garlic. Each of these new bulbs can be cured for a couple months and then planted out again to multiply even further — or, of course, they can be eaten.
With a good cold winter, 20-50% of the plants will also produce a seed stalk, enabling you to try your hand at breeding new varieties. 'Driftless Red Dutch' shallots feature excellent storage and pretty light pink flesh, with a delicate flavor often described as combining the best of onions and garlic.
GROWING TIPS: Plant these shallots in the fall at around the same time as garlic or even a little later. Sometime in October is usually best for northern climates. Sow root-end down 1-2" deep, spaced 8" apart in rows 12" apart. Foliage is short, so be sure to keep it weeded!
