Know your Vegetables

How to grow Garlic Chives

How to grow Garlic Chives - Introduction

Garlic chives is a close cousin to common chives, has a mild garlic flavour and is sometimes called Chinese Chives since they are used primarily in Asian cooking.
They can be distinguished easily, as pink flowers appear on the common Chives and the Garlic chives have white flowers.
They are also edible and can be used to garnish salads.

How to grow Garlic Chives - Crop Rotation

Garlic chives are a member of the onion family and it is recommended that they should not be grown in soil that has grown family members in at least the last three years.

How to grow Garlic Chives - Site and Soil

- Garlic Chives prefer a sunny position in organic rich, moist, but well-drained fertile soil, but are also quite forgiving of adverse conditions.
- Tolerated pH range for garlic chives is 4.5 to 8.3, so there is a large leeway available.
- Garlic chives grow best in full sun, but do tolerate light shade.

How to grow Garlic Chives - Propagation

- Garlic chives sprout easily from seed, after which they can easily be propagated by clump division, or you can just buy the plants.

How to grow Garlic Chives - Care & Cultivation

- Space the clumps 9 inches apart and 2 inches deep.
- It is wise to re-divide one's garlic chives every few years, to maintain plant vigour.
- Division can be done almost anytime, but is probably best done in spring.
- Water the plants regularly especially during dry spells.
- Garlic chives generally like moist (but not soggy) soil.
- During their first season, hold down watering to encourage root growth.
- If your herb plant seems to be getting woody, prune all down to about an inch above the soil level to let new growth begin.
- Garlic chives tends to go dormant in climates with harsh winters.

How to grow Garlic Chives - Harvesting

- Garlic chives need to be harvested often.
- The leaves are flat shaped rather than tube shaped like the common chives but are cut the same to within an inch of soil level.
- Pick garlic chives any time during the growing season after the leaves are about 15 cm (6 inches) long. Pick only the leaves, as the flower stalks may be tough.
- Harvest garlic chives by hand, picking the leaves off at the base. Don't cut the leaves with scissors, as the resulting dieback has an unattractive brown edge.
- Pick chives flowers when they are just fully open.
- Avoid harvesting garlic chives in the first year to enable the plant to develop a good root system. Thereafter, pick the leaves as required once they are about 15 cm (6 inches) long. Garlic chives leaves are very soft and quickly lose freshness.
- Pick the flower buds of garlic chives for fresh use or for drying. Flower stems are also edible.

How to grow Garlic Chives - Storage & Preserving

- They can be dried, but their is little point because they then have no flavour and the colour is insipid.
- One way to store them is to chop the leaves into 1cm (half inch) lengths and place them in ice cube moulds with some water.
- Freeze them, and then defrost an ice cube or two when you need to use them.

How to grow Garlic Chives - Kitchen Notes

- Use the leaves of garlic chives as you would those of chives, but expect a stronger, sharper flavour.
- When cooking with garlic chives, add just before serving, as the leaves lose flavour and become stringy if overcooked.
- Garlic chives is a staple of Asian cooking. Only fresh leaves are used, and are typically fried with vegetables and meat. Garlic chives is essential for Japanese miso soup.
- Use the small bulbs of garlic chives as you would garlic, especially in recipes calling for a more delicate flavour than true garlic.
- Eat garlic chives flower buds as you would those of chives.
- Flower stems may also be used for seasoning.
- Garlic chives is used commercially in soup mixes, salad dressings, savoury dips, sour cream, and cottage cheese.

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