Chives are part of the onion family, but unlike most of these plants, the green leaves are harvested instead of the bulb. Compared to normal onions, chives have a much more delicate flavor. This little herb is often added to soups, salads and sauces for its light flavor and pleasant appearance. If you intend to use chives for cooking or as a complement to your ornamental garden, the whole process - from choosing a species of chives, to preparing the garden, planting and harvesting - is quite simple.
Steps
Part 1 of 4: Choosing a Chive Type
Step 1. Consider growing "onion" chives for cooking
"Onion" chives, also called common chives, is the best known variety; it has a slight onion aroma, is fragrant, and is used in salads and as a condiment for many dishes, because it gives an excellent flavor. This type of chives grows anywhere up to a height of 20-30 cm, and has a bright green to dark green color. It has a stem of the usual tubular shape, hollow in the center.
Step 2. Consider growing "garlic" chives for cooking
Sometimes called "Chinese chives," this is another type of chives used in cooking. This chives smells of violet when the stem is crushed, but the taste is reminiscent of that of garlic, therefore, it is used in dishes where it is necessary to enhance this flavor. Unlike "onion" chives, the "garlic" variety has flat stems, and even the flower buds can be used in cooking (usually stir-fried). "Garlic" chives have a bright green to dark green color and grow to a height of 20-30 cm.
Step 3. Consider growing Siberian giant chives
Although the name suggests something quite large, the Siberian giant chives are actually only a slightly larger variety than the previous ones. This chive has a stronger flavor, but is generally used in gardens due to its size (50-75 cm in height) around the boundaries of a plot of land. Giant Siberian chives have a blue-green color and a tubular shape. It tastes and smells like an excellent onion, when added in cooking to dishes.
Step 4. Consider growing chives for its flowers
Although many people think of chives only as a garnish for baked potatoes, chives are actually a type of lily that produces magnificent purple blooms. The flowers are about the size of a 5-cent coin, and feature many rows of small, thin petals resembling a dandelion. The flowers of the chive plant attract beneficial insects to your garden, which in turn kill any unwanted pests and insects that may be around. Plus, the chive flowers are edible, making them a great addition to your dishes.
- Cut the flowers before they fully open, and add them to salads or use them as a garnish on baked goods.
- All varieties of chives develop flowers.
Part 2 of 4: Preparing to Plant
Step 1. Choose a growing method
There are two methods for growing chives: from a pre-existing plant / cutting or from seeds. Most gardeners recommend growing chives starting from a bulb or cutting from another plant, because growing chives from seeds takes two full years. If you choose to grow from an existing plant (available at nurseries), choose a bright green cutting, full and at least 7 to 12 cm tall. These are some of the things that indicate a chive plant is in good health, and increase the chances of it thriving in your garden.
- Growing from seeds requires starting the seeds indoors a few months before transplanting outdoors, and transplanting in spring. The seeds will develop into plants, but will not be able to yield for 2 years.
- Chive plants grow in bulbs that divide every 3-4 years, so it is possible to plant from a bulb, divided by a friend or from a neighbor's chives, which will develop into a completely new plant.
- Planting seeds, bulbs, and starting outdoors involves the same process. Seeds are the only growing method that will require a little extra work before transplanting outdoors.
Step 2. Choose a spot in the garden in full sun
Chives are a sun-loving plant, and even if they can grow in the shade, they will produce heavier yields when exposed in full sun. Find a spot in your garden that gets sunlight for most of the day. If your garden is shaded, choose an area that receives at least 4-6 hours of sunlight in a day to meet the sun needs of the chives.
Step 3. Prepare the garden soil
Although some plants can grow in compact and hard soils, chives need light, loamy and sandy soils with good drainage. If you have a soil that has a lot of clay or is very compact, mix sand to loosen it. Also, add a garden-quality compost blend to mix the nutrients into the soil. If possible, fine the soil 4-6 weeks before planting, so that it has time to adjust to the changes.
Step 4. Balance the soil pH before planting
Chives need a soil with a pH between 6 and 7. Do the soil test and, if the pH is too low, increase it by chopping agricultural lime into the soil using a garden transplanter or a small shovel. If it's too high, lower it by mixing a fertilizer with urea phosphate or ammonium nitrate, or by adding compost, manure, or vegetable bedding.
- Test the pH with a red cabbage using a simple DIY method.
- You can test soil pH using a store-bought test to get accurate measurements.
Step 5. Know when to plant
Chives are a summer flowering plant that should be planted in early spring. If you start chives from seeds, start indoors 8-10 weeks before the scheduled date to transplant them outdoors. Planting outdoors should be done 1-2 weeks after the last frost of winter, typically around March or April (depending on where you live).
Part 3 of 4: Transplanting the Chives
Step 1. Water the soil to avoid transplant shock
Before transplanting your chives, wet the soil with a garden hose so it is moist. This will help prevent the shock of transplanting new chive seedlings. Make sure the soil isn't muddy, just moist enough to thicken when pressed in your hand.
- Transplant shock is the seedling's reaction following being dug up, pulled up, and then transferred to a new environment, and it is absolutely normal - although it can cause problems if the seedling is not treated after transplantation.
- The plant may have suffered transplant shock if it has a wilted and generally sickly appearance.
Step 2. Dig a hole 5-10cm deep
Chives grow from small bulbs, which must be completely covered when you plant them. Bulbs don't typically reach that size, so a hole no deeper than 5-10cm and just as wide will suffice.
Step 3. Plant the chives
Place each chive plant in a hole of that size, and cover the top with soil. Make sure the soil does not go over the base of the stems, as this will slow down the growth of the plant.
Step 4. Water the chives every few days
The soil should remain moist when you water the chives, so there is no need to water again immediately afterwards. Chives do not require a lot of moisture, so add water only when the soil is completely dry. The frequency of watering will depend on the weather conditions in your area, but can vary over a range of 1 to 3 days.
Step 5. Apply fertilizer once a month
The chive crop will thrive with some fertilizer applied once every 3-4 weeks. Choose a 20-20-20 mixture (equal parts nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium) and incorporate it into the soil according to package directions.
Step 6. Add a layer of mulch to avoid weeds
If you are concerned about weeds in your garden, adding a layer of mulch will help stop them. Mulch is a type of compost / bark available at garden supply stores. Add a 5-10 cm thick layer on top of the soil to block weeds and to retain moisture for longer.
Step 7. Keep an eye out for pests and diseases
Few pests are interested in chives, but onion pests, such as the onion fly, can turn to chives if there are real onions planted nearby. Some fungal diseases, such as rust, can also attack chives - but this rarely happens. A small amount of a pesticide or fungicide can usually restore your chives if these problems occur.
Part 4 of 4: Collecting the Chives
Step 1. Wait to collect the chives until it has reached a height of between 17 and 25 cm
The overall size of your chives will vary depending on the variety you have grown, but all varieties can be harvested when they reach 17-25cm. This normally occurs around mid-summer, and you can continue harvesting until the weather cools below freezing. In some areas with mild winters, chives will remain evergreen and will produce plants that yield crops until the following year.
Step 2. Cut the chives about 2 cm from the base of the plant
Use a pair of garden shears or scissors to cut the chives with a clean and straight cut, starting from the outside of the plant and working inwards. Cut the chives about 2 cm from the base of the plant, as this will stimulate new growth for other crops. Don't harvest the whole plant at once; cutting off all the leaves stops future growth. Try not to cut obliquely, because this favors the faster loss of moisture than a straight cut, as an oblique cut exposes the stem more, and therefore the moisture of the plant tends to disperse more quickly.
Step 3. Harvest your chives 3-4 times a year
To get the best harvest for flavor, harvest your chives during the summer through late fall three to four times in total throughout the year. It is not necessary to harvest the whole plant at once; only cut what is needed from one area, and harvest from that particular area 3-4 times a year.
Step 4. Eliminate faded flowers as they begin to form seeds
Chives can become an invasive species, because they self-sow and pollinate and consequently can invade your garden. To avoid this, cut off the flower heads during the harvest period. This will prevent the flowers from spreading and spreading the seeds to other areas of your garden. Keep removing wilted flowers each time you harvest.
Step 5. Cut all the chives at the end of the growing season
As a form of pruning, cutting all chives in late fall will help produce a better harvest the following summer. Use your garden shears to cut the upper part of the whole chive plant 5-10 cm from the base (this should be done between the months of October and November). Chives are a perennial plant, so it will continue to grow back as long as you take care of it.
Step 6. Divide the chive plants every 3-4 years
By continuing to grow for many years, chives can become quite large. To prevent it from invading your garden and becoming uncontrollable, it is a good solution to divide chive plants after a certain number of years. Chives have a bulb root, so they are easy to divide. Simply dig into the earth to reach the bulb and divide each large plant into sections ⅓ of its original size. Replant each of these, or discard any excess if unwanted.
- Consider replanting some of these chive sections at the base of apple trees. Chive plants will prevent the spread of a type of disease called scab, which can spread to these trees.
- Chives are known for their ability to keep deer away, so consider planting the sections you have divided in an area where deer have been a problem.
Advice
- Simply picking the flower in full bloom (not the whole stem) and rubbing it between your fingers over the top of the pizza will produce a nice spicy, peppery flavor.
- If you have more chives than you can use, chop the leaves and freeze them in water to be ready to use. Do not dry the chives, as this tends to lose their flavor.
- If you prefer to use organic fertilizer instead of chemicals, fish emulsions are a good choice.
- You can eat not fully ripe chives, such as the one you removed while thinning out the newly sprouted seedlings. The taste will be milder than normal, but still perceptible.
- If you are cooking with chives, do not add them until the preparation process is complete, as exposure to heat dulls the flavor.
