On Thu, 12 Apr 2012 17:46:01 -0400, Ecnerwal
wrote:

These are the shallots (or "shallots") that are grown from actual seed -
hybrid, Dutch seed, I think from a bit of my follow-on reading - variety
is "Ambition" (there are others, but that's the one the place I was
buying seed from had). Storage life is supposed to be good,

Mine didn't stay plump, but managed 10 months in my barn and were
sending out green wisps. I wouldn't normally plant as many as I did,
but because of the miserable conditions last year, they didn't turn
out well for cullinary purposes, and they certainly weren't going to
do any good being stored for much longer. I'll have plenty for
cooking, some for giving away (either in start form, or mature), and
more than enough for replanting next year.

I had noted that while they bunched up nicely, no scapes ever formed.
Seems odd for an allium to not flower, but then last year was weird.
My carrots went from seed to mature flowers in 6 mo, through the
"spring that wasn't" (outside from a few warm days, it was cold/cool
up until the first day of summer - those warm days are what screwed my
carrots).

100-pack had ~108 seeds, germination above 90%,

Why going with hybrid seed instead of sets?

got them planted 5 to a 1-3/4" block as a "multiplant" (ie, I'll just plant the blocks as is on
a wider spacing.) I'm also experimenting with soil blocking this year
without spending money on it, and that non-standard size what my "scrap
materials crude block press" puts out.

Pics anywhere?

What are you using for a press? An offset lever, a screw jack, ?

I've seen the block makers in catalogues such as Johnny's and the
sort, but the premise confounds me -- don't you want light fluffy soil
for the plant starts, rather than compacted stuff?