One of my favorite herbs to grow, design with and cook with is chives. Chive plants are perennial and come back year after year, they have adorable purple flowers and are fully edible, Now let’s jump right into the article. How to Grow, Harvest and Use Chives.
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Species Information:
- Name: Chives (Allium schoenoprasum)
- Popular varieties: Common garden chive
- Growing zone: Zones 2-9
Chive Plant Physical Characteristics:
Chives are an upright, perennial, clumping herb that resembles tall grass. They are a member of the onion family but does not produce a bulb like onions instead, they are prized for their greens. Chive greens are used to flavor soups, salads even baking like savory scones and breads.
How to Grow Chives:
Growing Chives: Chive grow easily and can be done by a few methods. F
Start seeds indoors 8 weeks before your last frost and plant out in bunches when plants are sturdy and the risk of frost has passed.
Mature plants can be planted out anytime after the risk of frost has passed. Water chive plants well until the become established, then a deep weekly water in dry weather is all they need, just watch for droopy plants and water accordingly.
Light Requirements: Chive grow well in most conditions, they are a very easy to grow, rugged plant. They thrive in full sun to part shade but I find that they are more tender when they get a bit of shade.
Soil Requirements: Chives plants are perennial so they can withstand most garden soils. I grow mine in my perennial beds which contain heavy clay soils and they do great.
Some of the biggest chive plants that I have ever seen have been grown in veggie gardens which contain rich well-drained soils. I have also seen them do well in pots, making them great for patio and balcony gardens.
Water Requirements: While chive plants are naturally drought tolerant, they can get dry and tough. They grow best with regular watering to keep them tender and maintain a mild flavor.
Nutrient Requirements: Chive plants don’t require much for added nutrients, an annual topping of homemade or bought compost will do. If your soil is really depleted of nutrients you can gently work the compost in around the roots of the plant with a garden fork, then water it in well.
How and When to Harvest Chives:
Parts used: Both the green grass-like stalks and the fluffy purple blossoms are used in savoury dishes to add a mild onion like flavour.
Time for harvest: Harvest a few fresh sprigs as needed throughout the growing season(April-October).
In my area, the weather really begins to heat up around July so I like to harvest my chive plant in late June. I bring them in, chop them small and dry them in my dehydrator for use throughout the winter.
Harvest method: To harvest chives, using clean sharp scissors, snip stalks near the base of the plant.
How to Use Chives:
Using Chives in the Kitchen: Add fresh chives to dishes like eggs, salads, and side dishes. I like to use sharp kitchen scissors or my herb scissors to chop the chives small and add them straight into my recipe. They can also be dried and stored in an air-tight container for use at a later date.
How to Dry Chives:
- Preheat your oven on it’s lowest setting, mine is 170 f.
- Using a sharp pair of scissors, herb scissors or a sharp kitchen knife, finely chop your chive and blossoms.
- Spread the chives & blossoms on a baking sheet, try not to overlap them too much, just dry them in small batches at a time.
- Dry the herbs for 2-3 hours (depending on your oven’s temp.).
- Be sure to keep an eye on the oven to ensure the chives don’t burn or over dry.
- Remove the chives from the oven when they are fully dry but still have their lovely green and purple colors.
- Store in an airtight container and use often.
Health and Wellness: Chives are rich in vitamins and minerals including vitamins A & C and just 3.5 oz of chives contain over 200% of your daily value of vitamin K which is vital for strong bone and teeth. They are also a good source of iron and magnesium. See
Beauty: While I don’t use chives externally in my beauty routine, consuming them daily can help create a healthy glow from the inside out.
The high vitamin and mineral content in chive plants makes them a great addition to your internal beauty routine.
Read more on using chives in your beauty routine on StyleCraze.com https://www.stylecraze.com/articles/benefits-of-chives-for-skin-hair-and-health/#gref
Summing It Up: How to Grow, Harvest and Use Chives
Chives really are a cinch to grow and make for a really attractive plant in any garden, patio or edible landscape. Large chive plants benefit from dividing, so when your plant gets too big, simply divide it and plant in another area of the garden or share it with a friend.
Harvest chive with scissors or a sharp knife by cutting just above the base of the plant. Harvest often to keep the plants growing vigorously.
Use chives in the kitchen in egg dishes, soups or in
Eat chives often for their nutrient value and to help build strong bones and teeth.
For more articles on how to grow, harvest and use some of my favorite plants see the links below:
Thanks for hanging out.
Jana
“If you like it then you should
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