Growing Chives: A Complete Guide -Growing, Planting, Care and Harvest-
Chives belong to the allium family of garlic, onions, shallots, and leeks. Chives are one of the most extensively used toppings in the world. It has a very delicate oniony flavor. Chive plants also produce chive flowers, which are tasty purple blooms that are normally cut before harvest. Chives are a cool-weather perennial that is similar to onions. Chives are used in salads and as a topping for a variety of cooked foods. Chives will flourish for many years once they fully develop. They can be grown indoors as well as in the ground (outdoors). Garlic chives, which have a slight garlic flavor, grow similarly to chives but have flat rather than circular leaves and white flowers.
How to Grow and Plant Chives: A Step-by-Step Guide
Chives may be grown in full sun or light shade. Chives should be grown on well-drained, sandy-loam soil with plenty of organic materials. Prepare the planting beds with mature compost. Chives prefer soil with a pH of 6.0 to 7.0. Planting in damp soil encourages the spread of stem and bulb diseases.
You can sow seed indoor from march to June. They can be sown in containers, pots, or trays filled with seed sowing compost at a temperature of 18-21C. In around 14 days, seeds are expected to germinate at 70°F. Remove the covering as the seedlings develop and set them under a fluorescent light or in a sunny area. Allow them to develop until they reach a height of 4 to 6 inches and are ready to be transplanted.
You can transplant seedlings into the garden from spring to summer. The seed should be sown 14 to 12 inches deep. They need to be in the dark to grow, so cover them with a light planting mix. Chives should be spaced 8 to 12 inches apart for better air circulation.
Gowing Requirements for Chives
Chives require a steady supply of water to flourish, while older plants may survive in dry soil. The tips of plants’ leaves get dark and papery when they dry out, so make sure you water wisely. Use old compost or organic fertilizer/planting mix to mulch around the chives. In hot climes, shade cloth may be used to protect chives from direct sunlight—deadhead plants on a regular basis to keep them from going to seed.
Chives are an easy annual to cultivate in pots. Chives should be planted in a container that is 6 inches or deeper. Chives are pest-free in most cases. Onion thrips may harm chives in a commercial onion-growing zone, although thrips are unlikely to trouble plants that are watered frequently. Chives are generally disease-free, although in excessive humidity or if the plants are overcrowded, fungal infections can damage your plants.
How to Care for Chives
Chives are quite easy to grow and require very little upkeep. Water the soil often during hot, dry days of summer to keep it wet. To keep the plant from bolting, cut off the majority of the flower stalks on a regular basis. You can, however, let a couple of the stems yield blooms and seeds to encourage self-sowing. This is the secret to increasing the size of your chives. Protect chives from extreme cold weather. During the winter, chives may thrive when the temperature is higher than 50 °F (10 °C). If it gets too cold in autumn, the leaves will die off, but when it heats up, they are going to start to emerge in February.
The Best Time to Harvest Chives
Growing chives is a rewarding experience since they not only taste great but they also grow quickly. To prevent damaging your chives, you must know when to harvest your plants. Harvesting the herb helps both the plant and you. You can use it whenever you want in recipes and produce seasonings. Harvesting the herb stimulates the development of fresh, delicate leaves that are more robust. Pruning maintains the plant’s structure and prevents overpopulation or overgrowth. Harvesting chives are essential for controlling their development since they grow quickly.
The best time to harvest the herb is early spring and late fall. You can start harvesting after 60 days if you cultivate chives from seeds. If you grow them inside, you may harvest them all year round. You may pick the herb once a month when the chives are one to two years old. This method ensures that the herb is kept in ideal growth circumstances. If you’re transplanting your chives, wait until they’re around 30 days old before harvesting. Chives are perennials, meaning they come back year after year, so the clumps will need to be divided every 3-4 years.
