Matador F1
Shallot in the UK

You've got a couple of options with shallots. If you're keen, you can sow the seeds indoors in February or March. Just pop 'em about 1 cm deep in some seed compost, a few seeds per small pot, then thin to the strongest. Keep 'em warm on a windowsill or in a cold frame. Or, like I often do, you can plant shallot sets directly outside from March onwards, once the worst of the cold weather has passed. Push 'em into the soil so just the tip is showing, about 15 cm apart in rows.

Once your indoor seedlings are big enough to handle, prick 'em out gently into individual pots. When they're a bit tougher, you need to harden them off for a week or two outside before planting them out on the plot after the last frost, which is usually mid to late May up here. Space them about 15 cm apart, same as sets, with 30 cm between your rows. They don't need any special support, just let 'em get on with it.