Chives are part of the culinary herb garden, but can be tucked in anywhere – pots, edges, odd corners of a flower bed. They are easy to grow and easy to harvest, as well as being pretty and polite.Growing from small bulbs, this herb can be multiplied. Simply dig up a bit of the clump, divide, and replant in the desired location. Chop the leaves for a bright green garnish; they add a hint of onion flavor wherever they are tossed.
What Do Chives Look Like?
Chive plant in bloom
Chives, or Allium schoenoprasum, grow about 8-10 inches tall in my garden, but some sources indicate they can grow to twenty. Bright green tubes shoot from the ground early in the season, later turning a bit duller green as they mature. Cheerful little lavender pom-poms of blooms appear in June and July, attractive to bees.
How To Grow An Allium
Alliums all like sun, and Allium schoenoprasum is no exception. Give full sun, well drained good garden soil, as well as regular moisture. They grow in neutral to sweet soil, pH 6 to 8. Enrich with organic matter, a bit of bone meal, and they will love you for it. Regular harvesting for your kitchen will keep chive plants looking fresh.
Chives grow over a long season, starting early and lasting past the first light frosts. Also growing under a cloche, who knows?
Chives grow in a clump and should be spaced 6-12 inches apart.
Can be be grown from seed, but germinate slowly. So then if you grow from seed, be sure to germinate at a minimum temperature of 15 °C [58, or 59 °F] and keep moist. Count on more than four weeks until transplanting to garden. I always simply use divisions of the clump, which gives results more quickly.
[ Fun Facts ]
There is some evidence that chives can improve digestion and reduce high blood pressure. –U. of Minnesota Extension
They have antibacterial properties.
Chives can be frozen by chopping up prewashed and drained leaves into small pieces and freezing them in plastic containers. That is what my mother liked to do, so she had a fresh supply all through the winter.
As a companion plant it will repel insect pests. Chives and garlic deter aphids from lettuce and peas; improve flavor of tomatoes and carrots.
What Are Some Culinary Tips For Cooking with Chives?
The edible flowers have a pungent flavor, somewhat more intense than the leaves. Dressing up salads with them plus a few Nasturtium blossoms would be tasty. Creating quite a color burst in the salad bowl!
After cutting, keep the leaves standing in a glass of water on the counter, or wrapped in a damp paper towel in a zip lock bag in the refrigerator. I like to use kitchen shears to cut them.
Chives botanical illustration
Use chives:
- with baked potatoes
- as garnish on tomato soup
- with fish, eggs [quiches-omelets-scrambled], and veggies
- in white sauces, or white wine sauce
- worked into softened butter
- in vinaigrette
- and seafood salads
Pale lavender allium blossom
Yum! Some recipes to try:
- Epicurious Soft Scrambled eggs,fresh ricotta, and chives
- Ahi Fish Burgers with Chives
- Squash Soup With Goat Cheese and Chives
