Chives are perennials in the onion family with beautiful edible flowers.
It is also an excellent companion plant to combat pests.
Here's How to Grow chives In Your Garden!
Chive is a cold-tolerant, cold-tolerant perennial, best planted in early spring to mid-summer for an early summer harvest.
Be careful when planting this herb as it will take up your garden once allowed to fully grow (flowers sow seeds). However, this plant is easy to relocate if it digs
and eventually invades other parts of the garden.
Chives are also great pest control companion plants. They are very suitable for growing carrots, celery, lettuce, peas, and tomatoes.
Varieties of Chives
It is also an excellent companion plant to combat pests.
Here's How to Grow chives In Your Garden!
Chive is a cold-tolerant, cold-tolerant perennial, best planted in early spring to mid-summer for an early summer harvest.
Be careful when planting this herb as it will take up your garden once allowed to fully grow (flowers sow seeds). However, this plant is easy to relocate if it digs
and eventually invades other parts of the garden.
Chives are also great pest control companion plants. They are very suitable for growing carrots, celery, lettuce, peas, and tomatoes.
Varieties of Chives
Two types of Chives are commonly grown in home gardens:
common onion (Allium schoenoprasum) and garlic onion (A. tuberosum),
Common onion consists of clusters of small, finely growing bulbs.
The tubular turquoise leaves reach 1015 inches in height.
Edible, fragrant flowers may be white, pink, purple, or red depending on the variety. You can grow these plants in zones 3 through 9. Garlic Onion (also known as Chinese onion) resembles common chives, but
has flatter green leaves and grows to about 20 inches in height. As the name
suggests, the leaves have a mild garlic flavor (bulbs are more intense).
flowers are white, larger, and less dense than regular chives and are not as strong as regular chives, so they are recommended for Zones 4-9.
Planting.
When to plant
Chives are considered cold-tolerant and are best grown in spring and fall. The harsher summer temperatures usually cause them to hibernate until cooler weather returns.
Plant chive seeds indoors 6-8 weeks before the last spring frost to benefit from cold regions. (See local frost dates.) The plants should be growing well before planting in the garden.
Sow seeds in spring when soil is suitable for growing outdoors.
can take weeks to germinate, so don't panic! For leeks to germinate and grow, the soil temperature must be 60º-70ºF (15º-21ºC). Plant outdoors after frost.
Choosing and Preparing a Planting Site
common onion (Allium schoenoprasum) and garlic onion (A. tuberosum),
Common onion consists of clusters of small, finely growing bulbs.
The tubular turquoise leaves reach 1015 inches in height.
Edible, fragrant flowers may be white, pink, purple, or red depending on the variety. You can grow these plants in zones 3 through 9. Garlic Onion (also known as Chinese onion) resembles common chives, but
has flatter green leaves and grows to about 20 inches in height. As the name
suggests, the leaves have a mild garlic flavor (bulbs are more intense).
flowers are white, larger, and less dense than regular chives and are not as strong as regular chives, so they are recommended for Zones 4-9.
Planting.
When to plant
Chives are considered cold-tolerant and are best grown in spring and fall. The harsher summer temperatures usually cause them to hibernate until cooler weather returns.
Plant chive seeds indoors 6-8 weeks before the last spring frost to benefit from cold regions. (See local frost dates.) The plants should be growing well before planting in the garden.
Sow seeds in spring when soil is suitable for growing outdoors.
can take weeks to germinate, so don't panic! For leeks to germinate and grow, the soil temperature must be 60º-70ºF (15º-21ºC). Plant outdoors after frost.
Choosing and Preparing a Planting Site
Chives can tolerate light shade, but they grow best in a sunny location.
Soil should be moist, fertile, and well drained. Apply 4 to 6 inches of well-compost organic matter before planting. Apply compost to soil.
How to Plant Green onions
Sow seeds about 2 inches apart and no more than ¼ inch deep. Cover with a thin layer of soil.
After germination, thin out plants to be 4-6 inches apart in all directions.
After germination, thin out plants to be 4-6 inches apart in all directions.
Maintenance
Mature root plants require minimal maintenance. Although they are drought tolerant, consistent watering throughout the growing season is important for high yields. When watering, wet the soil well.
Small chives grow close to the soil surface, so use mulch to retain moisture and inhibit weed growth.
For good harvest, apply nitrogen fertilizer in late spring or early summer.
If the soil is not yet nutrient-rich. After flowering, be sure to remove seeds to avoid scattering throughout the garden.
Do not forget to divide the plants every 3-4 years in the spring. Splitting the green onions on a regular basis is much more productive. Divide them into groups of at least 10 small bulbs and let the split plants grow for a few weeks before harvesting.
Pests/diseases
Bulb rot (caused by soil fungus)
White rot
Mold
Rust
Spot
Mold leaf spot (e.g. purple spot and gray mold)
Onion fly
Thrips
Mature root plants require minimal maintenance. Although they are drought tolerant, consistent watering throughout the growing season is important for high yields. When watering, wet the soil well.
Small chives grow close to the soil surface, so use mulch to retain moisture and inhibit weed growth.
For good harvest, apply nitrogen fertilizer in late spring or early summer.
If the soil is not yet nutrient-rich. After flowering, be sure to remove seeds to avoid scattering throughout the garden.
Do not forget to divide the plants every 3-4 years in the spring. Splitting the green onions on a regular basis is much more productive. Divide them into groups of at least 10 small bulbs and let the split plants grow for a few weeks before harvesting.
Pests/diseases
Bulb rot (caused by soil fungus)
White rot
Mold
Rust
Spot
Mold leaf spot (e.g. purple spot and gray mold)
Onion fly
Thrips
Harvesting/Storing
About 30 days after planting or about 60 days after planting
Start harvesting the onion leaves to add a light garlic flavor to all dishes.
When harvesting, always cut leaves to the bottom (within 1-2 inches of soil).
Harvest 3-4 times in the first year. The following year, the plants are pruned
times a month.
Chives bloom in late spring or early summer. The flowers are edible and taste better when opened. Flowers should look rich and vibrant.
