Organic Herb Chives

Description

Organic Herb Chives. Allium schoenoprasum.

A member of the onion family with a mild oniony taste. A perennial clump forming bulbous plant that dies back over winter. Clumps can be dug up and thinned out in spring to give more plants which can look lovely as a continuous herb garden border and provide some protection from garden pests by their smell and anti-fungal properties. Bees love to feed on the flowers.

How to grow:
Sow seeds in pots February onwards and plant out when 20cms tall. Or sow direct into well prepared soil from April. The seedlings look a lot like grass so be careful not to weed them out. Plant clumps about 15cms apart. They like fertile soil and do best in full sun. Keep watered.

Problem solving:
Pretty straightforward and problem free to grow. Germinate at around 15C.

Favourite ways to eat them:
The leaves are lovely chopped up into champ, soups, salads, potato salads and dressings. Mix into herb butter or cream cheese. Flowers are edible too and a lovely tasty, colourful addition to salads. If you want more leaves cut the flowers off which are lovely in a vase too. The seeds can be eaten, nice toasted or are lovely in home baked bread.
You can make a “tea” with crushed leaves and water or spray other plants that are susceptable to scab, black spot or mildew.

Cultural history:
Native to temperate regions of the globe in Europe, Asia and north America.

Average seed weight: 1g ~830 seeds.