11/07/2026
A progression of my shallot dehybridization seed growing project! Photos taken from just a few weeks after planting out the bulbs this spring right up to today.
It seems I've got the seed growing itch after taking the VIU Organic Vegetable Seed Production course 2 winters ago, and growing 3 seed crops (broccoli, tulsi basil, and Taj Mahal marigolds) on the farm last season with the help on labour and harvest from Nikki and .
So early this spring as I was reading through Dan Brisebois's (of .farm) new book The Seed Farmer, I got inspired to try growing out some gorgeous shallots that had stored beautifully over winter. The only catch? They were hybrid shallots, meaning the seed won't be "true to type" and won't grow shallots that are like the ones I grew the seed from.
But in the spirit of play and learning I decided to grow them out for a seed crop anyway. Meaning next year when I grow shallots from the seed I (hopefully) harvest this fall, I will get a wild west of genetics. And I can then select what I like best, amd save those shallots to grow out for seed the following year.
It's a long game project. With shallots being a biennial seed producer (grow for bulbs 1 year, and then seed the next year), and stabilizing a variety from a hybrid vegetable variety being a many years long project - well, it looks like I'm committed to having my hands in the soil for at least the next 20 years, one way or another 😉🧡🙌
It's fun, because I'm already noticing some differences in the flowers. Who knows how things will progress??!
