Zone 4 · Alliums Growing Guide

When to Plant Shallot
in Zone 4

The cook's allium — complex, sweet flavour superior to onions for most dishes. Plant sets in fall or early spring. Each bulb multiplies into a cluster of 6–8 shallots. Easier than onions, stores brilliantly.

Plant outdoors
Apr 10 – May 1 (spring) or Oct 1 – Oct 20 (fall)
Start indoors
Direct sow
Last Frost
~May 1
Days to harvest
90–120 days
Difficulty
Easy
Growing — Zone 4
Harvest window: Jul – Aug

Planting Calendar

In Zone 4, Shallot should be planted outdoors Apr 10 – May 1 (spring) or Oct 1 – Oct 20 (fall), after the average last frost date of approximately May 1.

Fall planting of sets overwinters and produces earlier harvest. Mulch fall plantings heavily.

Care Guide

Sunlight
Full sun · 6–8 hrs/day
Watering
Moderate
Spacing
6–8 inches
Soil
Loose, well-draining, fertile
Days to maturity
90–120 days
Soil pH
6.0–7.0
plant tip · Zone 4

Fall planting of sets overwinters and produces earlier harvest. Mulch fall plantings heavily.

Feeding Schedule

How often
twice a season
Feed type
balanced
Key timing
at planting and mid-season

Light feeder similar to onions. Feed at planting and once more mid-season. Stop feeding as bulbs swell.

Companion Planting for Shallot

What you plant next to shallot makes a real difference — some plants actively help, others compete or attract pests.

Grows well with
  • Carrots
  • Brassicas
  • Tomatoes
  • Beets
Keep away from
  • Beans
  • Peas
  • Asparagus

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Common questions

In Zone 4, direct sow shallot outdoors Apr 10 – May 1 (spring) or Oct 1 – Oct 20 (fall) after your last frost date of approximately May 1. Fall planting of sets overwinters and produces earlier harvest. Mulch fall plantings heavily.
Zone 4 has an average last spring frost of approximately May 1 and a first fall frost around Oct 1. These dates vary by specific location — use your ZIP code in the plant app for precision based on the nearest NOAA weather station.
Good companion crops for shallot include Carrots, Brassicas, Tomatoes, Beets. Avoid planting near Beans, Peas, Asparagus, which can compete for nutrients or attract pests.
Shallot typically takes 90–120 days from transplant or direct sow to harvest in Zone 4. Expected harvest window: Jul – Aug.

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Shallot in other zones
Crop Guides