Spring planting doesn’t start when the air feels warm, It...Read More
Garlic Chives are an easy to grow, low maintenance, long-lasting perennial vegetable ideal for beginner gardeners. Garlic Chives produce clumps of upright, thin & flat edible leaves which have a mildly sweet but potent garlic flavor. They will begin to flower mid spring with small white flowers that will also carry a garlic flavor with notes of sweet floral. Garlic Chives are drought tolerant and can withstand cold temperatures and a mild frost. This plant is rarely targeted by pest or diseases and is one of the first perennials to come up in the Spring; you can even grow Garlic Chives easily in containers on a patio or balcony with extremely low maintenance. This seed can also be used to grow microgreens as well.
Enjoy the foliage and flowers in the kitchen as well as the garden in a variety of ways. Thinly chop the long greens and add to sauces & dips, salads, soups or simply garnish for meat, potatoes, or vegetable dishes. The flowers can be separated and used as a beautiful garnish on its own or be left on the green foliage and cooked in stir-fries, fried rice, egg rolls and more. If you are looking for something larger and more of a green onion bite, try our Tokyo Bunching Onion seeds.
NAME: Chive (Allium schoenoprasum)
VARIETY: Garlic
DAYS TO MATURITY: 85 days
POLLINATION: Open Pollinated
TYPE: Perennial in most climates
HARDINESS ZONE: Zones 3 – 9
SUNLIGHT: Full Sun to Partial Shade
SOIL: Prefers well-draining soils with a pH between 6.2 – 7.0
PLANT HEIGHT: 10 – 16 inches
SPACING: 4 – 6 inches
TEMP: 40 – 90 °F
These seeds do not required stratification.
To learn more about Stratification, click here!
Sow seeds indoors 6 weeks before your last local spring frost in small or large pots; they can remain in larger pots for their entire life if you choose.
You can sow into cell trays as well if you plan to transplant outside later.
Sow seeds 1/4 inch deep in seed-starting soil mix.
Keep the soil moist at 70°F and seedlings will emerge in 7 to 12 days.
As soon as the seedlings emerge, provide plenty of light on a sunny windowsill or grow seedlings 3 inches beneath fluorescent/LED plant lights turned on 15 hours, off for 9 hours.
Before transplanting outdoors, harden off seedlings for several days. Do this by taking them outside during the day and bringing them in at night (Outside temps should be above 50°F when you start this process)
Direct sow seeds outdoors once air or soil temps reach a consistent 60°F or higher.
Sow seeds and cover with 1/4 inch of fine soil.
Press down on soil and keep moist until seedlings are several inches tall.
When seedlings reach 3 inches in height, thin them to 4 to 6 inches apart.
Provide consistent moisture to Garlic Chive plants throughout the growing season, as they prefer evenly moist soil.
Mulch around the plants to help retain soil moisture, regulate soil temperature, and suppress weed growth.
Fertilize the plants with a balanced fertilizer or compost tea every 4-6 weeks to promote healthy growth.
Garlic Chives are relatively low-maintenance but may benefit from occasional pruning to encourage bushy growth and prevent self-seeding.
Monitor for pests such as aphids, thrips, and leaf miners, and take appropriate measures to control them if necessary.
Wait to harvest until chives are 8 to 10 inches tall with many sprigs.
You can cut individual sprigs or cut the entire plant 3 inches from the soil level and it will regenerate.
When temperatures get hot, it will trigger chives to flower; they will still have great flavor and the flowers are edible before they go to seed.
