Chives

Common Name: Chives

Botanical Name: Allium schoenoprasum

When to Sow: Spring - Autumn

Planting Position: Likes a sunny spot and a moist, fertile, rich, and well-draining soil.

Days to Germinate: 7 - 10 days

Ready to Harvest: 8 weeks

Lifespan: Annual - Lasts one year

Fertilise: Extra fertilising is not required if started in a fertile soil. Feed once in Spring if plants look weak. Feed container grown chives monthly if required.

Did you know?

Dried chives lose their aroma, for this reason freezing is the best method of storing them. Snip into small pieces and freeze them in ice cubes.

Bees and butterflies are especially attracted to chive flowers.

About Chives: Chives long slender leaves have a mild onion flavour popular in many savoury egg and cheese dishes. The leaves are hollow inside closing at the tip, to harvest use a pair of kitchen scissors then snip into little green circles that can be sprinkled over food as a garnish.

Tips for growing: To grow big healthy clumps of chives give them plenty of water.

Companion Plants - plant Chives with: parsley, broccoli, cabbage, eggplant, kohlrabi, mustard, peppers, potatoes, rhubarb, roses, squash, strawberries and tomatoes. Companion planting chives with carrots will improve both the growth and flavour of your carrots.