The pots my shallots were growing in were lifted a week ago and stored in my greenhouse so that no more water could get to them. This is so that they stop growing and ripen off properly. (See top pic)
The second pic shows how each pot was thinned down to 2 back in mid-April. The idea was that each bulb can grow larger and produce a better more rounded shape. This hasn't worked out. The shape is fine but as you can see from pic. 3 they're not that large and I shall have to re-evaluate how I do it next season. I think I will need to get a new stock of shallots from a champion grower.
The final pic shows the shallots having had their roots trimmed in a tray ready to allow the foliage to die back. I'll leave this in my greenhouse with a sack over them so that they don't scorch and wrinkle. Like I said, I was very happy with the shape so I'm confident the method is good......I just need to work out how to make them bigger. Ideally they need to be twice this size in top competition.
However, on the plus point I'll have plenty to select from for the pickling shallot classes ! A word of warning however, if you enter this class at your local show....check the schedule carefully. This is because some shows work to RHS rules whereby the shallot has to pass through a 25mm ring, and others work to NVS rules where a 30mm ring is used. If you enter 30mm shallots in a show where the 25mm ring applies they'll be disqualified. And if you enter 25mm shallots in a show where the 30mm rule applies you'll lose points for size! I grade my pickling shallots so that I know exactly which tray to make my final selection from before a show.
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