HR00045 CHIVES SEEDS
Allium schoenoprasum
These delicate leaves have a mild onion flavor perfect for salads, vegetables, egg dishes and soups. The cloverlike purple flowers appear in the spring - they are edible and make a colorful and flavorful addition to salads. Chives are great edging plants in the herb, vegetable or flower garden and grow well in containers. Clumping growth to 2-feet tall. A winter hardy perennial for zones 3 and above. Packet is 1 gram, about 750 seeds.
How to Plant CHIVES Seeds Sow seed in cell packs or
flats, press into soil and
lightly cover. Darkness
will aid germination. Kept at
70° F., germination
averages 7-14 days. Transplant 6-8
inches apart, in rows 18
inches apart. Can direct sow
as soon as soil warms,
1/4 inch deep, 1-2 seeds per
inch. Thin to 2-3 plants every
6-8 inches.
Comments: Full or part sun. Best appearance and production with rich soil and regular water. Harvest by cutting leaves back to 2 inches tall. Fresh cut leaves last about 7 days in the refrigerator. In zip-lock bags placed in the freezer, quality is preserved for about 1 year. Flavor of leaves declines when plants bloom, shear leaves back as flower buds develop. Chives flowers are showy and edible, attract bees, butterflies, and beneficial insects. Plants are deer and rabbit resistant.
