Chives are an indispensable herb, often serving as an onion flavoring agent in salads, potatoes, soups and eggs. Easy to grow from seeds or division, chives make an indispensable culinary companion!
Common varieties of chives include Allium schoenoprasum; however, other options include Staroand Fine Leaved varieties with milder flavors; as well as Giant Siberian which grows up to two feet tall and boasts wide and flat leaves.
Exploring Different Types of Chives
Chives add subtle, onion-like leaves and delicate purple flowers that add subtle savory notes to dishes. Easy to grow, there are numerous cultivars of chives available for gardeners to explore – from classic common to garlicky goodness of garlic chives and the tall elegance of Siberian varieties – there’s sure to be one suitable for every palate and culinary desire!
Chives (Allium schoenoprasum plants), commonly referred to as perennial herbs, can be harvested all year long for use in herb gardens and flower beds alike. With their subtle onion-like flavor and delightful edible flowers, chives make a wonderful addition to any meal while providing essential vitamins such as A, C, K, folate and quercetin – not to mention helping lower blood pressure by acting as natural deodorizers in bathwater!
Common chives are among the most beloved perennial varieties that gardeners can try growing, with perenniality and self-seeding readily to form clumps. Common chives require little attention beyond being planted in full sun in well-draining soil and cut regularly for freshness; these beauties can even thrive in kitchen gardens, window boxes or containers!
Garlic chives (Allium tuberosum) resemble traditional chives in both appearance and flavor; however, their flat leaves and stronger garlicky aroma make this variety unique to Chinese cuisine. Best used whole or cooked into dishes rather than as garnishes.
Giant Siberian chives (Allium ledebourianum) stand taller than their smaller cousins and boast round, rosy violet flowers which can grow to reach two inches across by late summer. Chefs frequently use them as garnishes when serving fine meals.
Green onions (or scallions) are immature chive plants that resemble regular onion bulbs but do not form true bulbs during their growth period, providing an extra mild onion flavor in salads, marinades and other recipes.
Garlic Chives
Garlic chives (Allium tuberosum) are an increasingly popular culinary herb used globally, boasting mild garlic flavors to compliment both sweet and savory dishes. Garlic chives may also offer health benefits like supporting immune systems and aiding digestion; additionally they’re easy perennial plants to cultivate both outdoors and indoors and add a beautiful green pop when in bloom!
Though they resemble regular chives in appearance, garlic chives have more intense aroma and taste, as well as being more resistant to cold weather than their common variety. As such, garlic chives make an excellent addition for northern gardeners looking for some seasonal color or for use during the winter. Like traditional chives, their entire plant can be harvested as needed; harvest flat leaves, blossoms and long green stems as garnish for salads or consume raw for raw eating; cooking softens their garlicky bite making them great additions for soups and recipes where subtle garlic notes are desired.
One major distinction between garlic chives and other varieties of chive is their flowers. While other chives produce tiny purple flower heads, garlic chives produce white star-shaped blooms in late summer or early fall that bloom white star-shaped blooms; these buds are commonly used in Chinese cooking – commonly eaten alongside scrambled eggs and stir fry dishes.
Flowers of this species boast mild garlic flavors that make an appealing addition to soups and other cooked recipes, while its bulbs should not be consumed due to being bitter. Furthermore, bulbs do not survive freezes well so harvesting should be carefully managed or protected during cooler months.
Garlic chives are perennials that thrive in zones 4-9, growing best when in full sun to partial shade and preferring well-draining soil with an ideal pH between 6-7 and plenty of organic matter. While not tolerant to drought like common chives, garlic chives make excellent containers plants as their roots spread quickly over time and form dense carpets of foliage that fill out over time.
Common Chives
Chives (Allium schoenoprasum) are among the easiest plants to cultivate, making them an excellent choice for beginners. Forgiving plants that will often thrive where other species struggle to live; even drought and frost won’t harm these perennial perennials! Perfectly suitable for herb gardens, cottage gardens and rock gardens alike as well as containers. Their grass-like foliage features pretty flowers which draw bees and other pollinators in great numbers!
Common chives come in various varieties that offer distinctive flavor profiles. The classic variety can often be found packaged in grocery stores. It features long and narrow hollow leaves with short stalks up to 15 inches long that produce small puffs of flowers in late spring or early summer; their edible flowers provide subtle onion-like flavor when added to salads, dips, soups or other dishes.
Garlic chives (Allium tuberosum) are another popular variety, similar to its classic cousin but with flat leaves that bloom later. This variety makes a good option for people who wish to harvest leaves before flowers have reached full bloom.
Both kinds of leaves can be harvested directly from their respective plants and used fresh or dried. Both varieties contain many essential vitamins and minerals – including A, K, Ca and Vitamin C – making them popular remedies for treating ailments from high blood pressure to kidney stones.
Addition of chives to your diet can also help keep mosquitoes at bay. They make an ideal natural alternative to bug spray when camping or hiking; simply crush and rub onto skin for natural insect repellent. There are many varieties of chives to try – select fresh bunches free from wilted or yellowed leaves when selecting freshest bunch. When growing them yourself, be mindful not to damage their bulbs by digging too deeply or overweeding around their area.
Rampion Chives
As perennial herbs, chives provide annual beauty in any garden while offering tasty edible leaves throughout the season. A cool-season crop, they perform best when planted and harvested either spring or fall; their mild onion-flavor leaves can be eaten raw, finely chopped and scattered over salads, soups, fish dishes, eggs or baked potatoes; their flowers also add visual interest while drawing beneficial pollinators into your home garden!
Chives have many culinary uses, as well as medicinal ones that go beyond culinary usage. Notably, they contain quercetin – an antioxidant known to prevent cancer and protect against cardiovascular disease – while simultaneously acting as an antiseptic and diuretic.
As with other onion and garlic plants, chives are easy to grow from either seed or purchased transplants. For best results, sow indoor seeds six to eight weeks prior to your last frost date (check local frost dates). When ready to plant outdoors it’s important that their roots have had time to adapt and have experienced optimal conditions before placing into the ground.
To acquire a clump of chives quickly and efficiently, the easiest method is to purchase them from a nursery or plant supplier in your area. They can also be divided from existing clumps; this requires patience and care – the ideal time for this is in spring after they have finished flowering.
Chives add a visual splash of color and interest when grown in clusters of various hues, especially when planted next to taller and more dominant plants like tulips or daffodils.
Chives are relatively easy to care for and will thrive under various growing conditions, from full sun to partial shade conditions. Although they do not require much fertilizer during their growing seasons, regular applications of liquid fertilizer may provide additional benefit.
