Characteristics:
These
hearty growers form tubular leaves up to 24 inches high. In late spring they
have lavender, ball-shaped heads of flowers. Both the flowers and the foliage
are edible. Growing
Information:
Give
chives full sun and well-drained soil of average fertility. Space plants about
18 inches apart. When the flowers begin to fade, cut them all off at the base
of the plant if you want to prevent them from self-sowing. Some flowers may
appear sporadically through the summer, so keep your eye out for them - they
make excellent cut flowers. In late summer, you can dig up a plant or two and
put them in large pots to keep in a cool windowsill or light garden for winter
harvests. Leave the pots outdoors until after a few frosts for best indoor
leaf production. Propagation:
Chives
are easy to start from seed. Start seeds indoors 6 weeks before the last spring
frost. Set them out when the weather is mild. Or transplant a self-sown seedling
that's emerged in your garden, or divide a mature plant. Renew older plants
by dividing every 5 years or so. Cultivars:
'Ruby
Gem' has gray foliage and red flowers. Possible
Problems:
Plant
in well-drained soil to prevent root rot. Harvesting
and Using:
When
you harvest the leaves or flowers, cut them off at the base to keep it looking
tidy. Use the fresh foliage with eggs, cream cheese, salads, soups, butters,
and burgers. You can chop up extra leaves by hand or puree them with a little
oil to make a pesto to freeze. Use the flowers to garnish salads or soups,
and to make lavender-colored vinegar. Be sure to wash the flowers out well,
though, because they may harbor insects. Related
Herbs:
Garlic
or oriental chives (A.
tuberosum)
have a pleasant garlic flavor long used in oriental cooking. They have flat
leaves that reach a foot high and edible, fragrant, white flowers during the
summer. They spread reasonably slowly on rhizomes but can be more aggressive
about self-sowing. Harvest as you would regular chives. Propagate by division
or transplant self-sown seedlings. |