Growing and caring for shallots in the garden

Halfway between being considered a tiny tree or a simple shrub, the scaffold adorns many gardens . And it is not for less because it is considered one of the 10 most beautiful ornamental shrubs. If you are around here, then you are curious about these versatile shrubs and want to learn about their cultivation and care so that they become part of your garden.

Read on to find out all about the shallots. Don’t miss a thing!

WHAT IS THE ESCALONIA PLANT LIKE? SPECIES AND VARIETIES

It is important that you know the characteristics of escalonia to better understand what its needs are and the best way to take care of it so that it always looks amazing.

TAXONOMY

  • Kingdom:  Plantae
  • Division: Magnoliophyta
  • Class:  Magnoliopsida
  • Order:  Escalloniales
  • Family: Escalloniaceae
  • Genus: Escallonia

This plant is part of the Escalloniaceae family , which consists of 60 different species of evergreen shrubs . It is most common in temperate regions such as South America, where it grows on the foothills of mountains or in open areas of the coast. Some types can also be found in gardens in the south and west of the UK.

The growth of shallots is quite fast, and during the summer and autumn times it produces in abundance flowers in different shades such as pink, crimson or white. These colors contrast a lot with the dark green of the leaves.

Below, you can find a brief explanation of some of the species that are most liked. However, it is worth highlighting among them scallonia rubra ,  since it is by far the most popular.

VARIETIES OF SHALLOTS

ESCALLONIA MACRANTHA : LARGE, SHOWY FLOWERS

It is one of the largest species, being able to grow up to 3 meters . They have a straight trunk and a thick crown. Its flowers are bright pink and bell-shaped, while the leaves are a lustrous dark green.

Within this type the most popular cultivars are: Apple Blossom, Crimson Spire, Gloria Donard . Each one has its flowers in a different hue.

ESCALLONIA RUBRA VAR. MACRANTHA: RED TUBULAR FLOWERS

This shrub can be found growing wild in Chile and can grow to 2 meters in length and width. It grows robustly with reddish tubular flowers and green leaves.

Its scientific name is Escallonia rubra and it is a parent species for many varieties and hybrids that differ in a great diversity of ways.

ESCALLONIA BIFIDA : HAIRPIN FLOWER

This variant comes from Uruguay and Brazil, where it grows naturally as a tree that can grow up to 6-8 meters in height. In professional plantations it is usually found in the form of a short bush.

Its flowers are snow-white with a hairpin shape and narrow oval leaves in a dark green tone.

SCALLOP PLANT CARE

As you have seen, it is not going to be a plant that requires special care. With a little care and dedication during planting, you will soon be enjoying a vigorous shrub in your garden.

LOCATION AND TEMPERATURE

It is preferable that you place your shallot in a sunny area , although partial shade is also good for it. The most important thing is to protect the branches from the wind, especially during the first years. This is why it is usually planted near a house or a wall to protect it.

With regard to temperature , this plant does not tolerate extreme cold well, although it does support small frosts, being able to re-sprout easily if it has affected it a lot.

Ideally, it would be in a climate whose warm temperatures are between 18 – 21 ºC.

SOIL TYPE

The shallot has the ability to develop without problems in a wide variety of soils. However, it is preferable that they are slightly acidic . In addition, it is also important to avoid clay soils since they worsen drainage and these types of plants do not require high humidity.

The contribution in autumn of organic matter around the main stems greatly benefits the fertility of the soil and the characteristics of the soil. It is advisable to create a mulch with compost or animal manure, contributing between 3 and 4 kg / m2.

IRRIGATION CHARACTERISTICS

During the first two years, maintaining adequate watering in the hottest summer months is very important for your shallots to establish properly.

It is recommended that the soil around its roots is kept moist, taking care that it does not get flooded. In hot weather conditions, we will water between 3 and 4 times a week , being preferable to provide irrigations with a small amount but increasing the frequency.

In winter , we will water once a week as long as there is no rainy season.

USE OF FERTILIZERS

In addition to the use of organic matter, in spring we will stimulate budding and flowering with the contribution of mineral fertilizers . We can use both liquid fertilizers, mixed with water, and granulated solid fertilizers, adding them at the beginning of spring and repeating their application once every month.

When preparing the soil for new plants, it is advisable to make sure that the soil is well excavated, drains properly and you can improve fertility by incorporating liquid fertilizers or solid granules. This will help improve root growth.

If you have these plants in pots, you will need to provide supplemental nutrition with a general purpose fertilizer once a week during spring and summer to encourage flowering.

PRUNING AND TRIMMING OF BRANCHES

The shallot is a plant that does not need much maintenance. However, for it to grow as a neat or shaped shrub, it will need to be trimmed at least once a year. The best time to do it is after flowering, before the arrival of the cold.

On the contrary, if you prefer them to grow completely naturally, you will not need to do any pruning. Although if you notice that they exceed the space you had thought they would occupy, it is best to prune it in autumn since if you do it in spring it will reduce flowering during the rest of the year.

STEP MULTIPLICATION

There are different simple techniques to get new species from the mother plant, either through cutting and layering . In the first case, this procedure would have to be carried out in summer when the shoots are young and little lignified. While the second option, it should be done in autumn.

Multiplication by cuttings

The cutting technique is the one that offers the best results in the cultivation of shallots. For this, we will select semi-woody stems between 10 and 15 cm in length. The best shoots are obtained in summer. However, we must discard the stems that have flowers, only the vegetative ones (with leaves).

We will bury the cuttings in pots with half peat and half coconut fiber substrate , maintaining constant humidity. It is advisable to use rooting hormones, as they considerably increase the success of the operation.

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