Shallots from the supermarket

meg72

A neighbour has just bought me 5 packs of shallots reduced to 19p instead of £1, I would normally peel and freeze them for stews etc but am very short on freezer space.

I am wondering if I could plant them as they look exactly the same as the ones you buy at the garden centre, but don't know if they are sprayed with something to inhibit growth.

Anyone tried this and can give advice please?

wellused

The radio garden expert said the other day that it was too late to plant shallots as they need a frost on them to trigger growth.

sobie

Yes, they will be sprayed with growth inhibitor. They will grow, but not as well as heat treated sets from the garden centre.

Bit late for planting garlic, shallots and onions. I'd wait for the japanese sets in early autumn.

soupdragon10

Could you simulate a frost by putting them into the fridge / freezer? I have done this with seeds to good effect but not sure how successful it would be with shallots.