If you don't grow herbs in your
garden, outside containers or inside, you're missing out on powerful
flavors, variety in your meals and impressive health benefits. Aromatic
herbs are an excellent key ingredient to any garden, most providing you
with a full summer of growth and beauty. Herbs are derived from the
leafy green parts of plants, like their leaves and stems, while spices
come from other parts, such as flowers, roots, bulbs or bark. Herbs are often used fresh, while spices
are usually dried before use in cooking. However, both offer unique and
potent additions to your meals and your health. Chives are an herb with
a long history. The plant is easily grown in your backyard or even
indoors and offers several health benefits inside a fragrant and
pleasantly subtle onion or garlic-flavored herb. Chives are a member of the onion family native to Asia and Europe. They were actively cultivated during the Middle Ages and used in China,1
prized for their delicate taste. The wild cousin of the chive can be
found growing throughout the Northern Hemisphere. The chive grows in
clumps like grasses. Unlike the onion, there is no large bulb that grows
underground. Instead, the chive is valued for the green leaves and
round, puffy flowers. The Romans brought chives to Britain, where they still grow wild near
Hadrian's Wall, a defensive wall built in A.D.122 during the reign of
emperor Hadrian.2
Today the plant is used as an herb and an ornamental garden plant.
Chives are related to the lily family, as are onions, garlic and leeks,3
and a member of the allium family. Members of this family of vegetables
share the same basic body type: thin grass-like leaves growing from a
bulb or fleshy roots. The botanical name, Allium schoenoprasum, is derived from a Greek word meaning reed-like leek.4
These herbs are among the easiest to grow in the allium family as they
are perennial, coming back year after year with little encouragement,
and they are among the first to appear in early spring.5
Historically, the leaves were used in fortunetelling and were dried in
bunches to hang inside the home in order to drive away evil spirits and
diseases.6 Allium vegetables contain organosulphur, flavonoids and a number of vitamins and minerals. These delicate herbs are nutrient dense, low in calories but high in antioxidants.7 In a recent study, chives ranked 14th in nutrient density8
when compared to 47 other fruits and vegetables identified as
powerhouse plants — those most closely associated with a reduced risk of
chronic disease. The researchers classified the plants in raw form as
different methods of cooking may alter nutrient value. The scores were weighted using data on bioavailability. The percent
of recommended daily value was capped at 100 in order to reduce the
potential one nutrient would artificially tip the scales in favor of a
fruit or vegetable. Items in the cruciferous family were at the top of
the list, while those that were yellow/orange, citrus or allium were
toward the lower half of the group. It's important to remember that only the fruits and vegetables
considered nutrient dense were included in the group of 47 evaluated.
The chive blossom also contains nutrients important to your health and
wellness.9
Analysis of the chive blossom by scientists in Poland revealed they
contained important fatty acids including palmitic acid, linoleic acid
and stearic acid as well as vitamin E. Intake of vegetables rich in organosulfur has beneficial effects in several disease and illness processes, including:10 Mouth cancer Stomach cancer Improved sleep Lung cancer Esophageal cancer The benefits are related to the relatively high levels of
organosulfur compounds, vitamin K, choline, folate and carotenes. Each
of these nutrients play a vital role in your health and wellness. For
instance, vitamin K is essential for strong bone health, and reduces neuronal damage in the brain,11 sometimes used for treatment in those suffering from Alzheimer's disease.12 High levels of vitamin A, carotenes and antioxidants lutein and
zeaxanthin are factors in antiaging and may protect you from lung and
mouth cancers. Antioxidants in the vegetable help protect you against
free radical damage at the cellular level. When cut or crushed, the
leaves produce allicin that may help decrease blood pressure and your
risk for cardiovascular disease. There are several different varieties of chives that you may consider
for different dishes you prepare, or as a light quick snack you can
pluck from your garden.13 • Common Chives These plants have a mild onion-like flavor that may be eaten raw or
cooked and are popular in eggs, soups and stews. The plants grow 10 to
12 inches tall and have round, hollow leaves. Early in the summer,
mature plants will flower with lavender-colored globes that are also
edible. You can propagate these from seed, purchase plants that have
been started or divide your own plants every two to three years to
protect the health of the plant and increase your yield. • Garlic Chives These taste like onion and garlic,
often included in stir-fry and meat dishes for added flavor. These
plants grow up to 2 feet tall and the leaves are flat and dense. The
flowers are white and appear in late summer to early fall. Garlic chives
self-seed easily. To keep the plant from taking over your garden,
consider removing the flower heads before they dry and the seeds are
dispersed. • Giant Siberian Chives This plant has a stronger flavor than the garlic or common chive,
rich in an onion-garlic taste. They look similar to the common chive but
grow taller. They bloom a rose-colored flower in late summer that can
be as much as 2 inches in diameter. The sap from the leaves can be used
to deter moths and other insects. • Siberian Garlic Chives This variety is commonly referred to as "blue chives," with a similar
onion-garlic flavor of the Giant Siberian Chive. The leaves are
blue-green in color and they flower midsummer with pink blossoms. They
do well in a sunny window through the winter and can be moved outdoors
in the summer. Chives are a perennial plant that thrives outdoors in temperature zones 3 through 9.14
The plant does best in soil that drains well, whether in your garden or
in a container. If you are planting in the ground, add well-aged
compost to amend the soil before planting seedlings, separated plants or
seeds.15
If you're planting in a container, take care to ensure the soil is not
pre-fertilized with a nitrogen-based product that may encourage rapid
growth but leave you with a plant that has little flavor. Start your seeds indoors about eight weeks from the last expected
frost, assuming they will germinate in two to three weeks. Once your
seedlings are ready to be planted outdoors, take care to place them
outside for one to two hours a day for several days to harden the
plants. This process gets the plant ready for outdoor life and reduces
the chance a young plant will die prematurely. You may also consider
purchasing young plants at a nursery. These can be separated at home into four bunches per pot before being
planted in your outdoor garden. Take care to separate the plants gently
so as not to damage the root system. Chives thrive in near neutral pH
soil, between 6.0 and 7.0. While they do best in full sun, if you live
in southern climates, consider planting in partial shade to reduce heat
stress on the plant. Do not mulch the plants to improve circulation at
the roots, and weed diligently as they compete poorly with other plants.16 Chives are slightly drought resistant. They appreciate about an inch
of water a week, whether from rain or your watering can. Puddling water
around the base of the plant will encourage the growth of disease, so
ensure the soil doesn't become packed or that drainage changes through
the summer. Most of the time chives are resilient to pests,
disease and deer. If you have problems with deer eating your garden
plants, consider planting chives in bunches throughout to discourage
foraging from four-legged wild animals. Aphids more commonly appear in the spring months and respond well to a mild household detergent.17
The soap damages the insect’s protective coat and causes them to
dehydrate and die. The same can be used for mealybugs and thrips.
Remember to spray the underside of leaves where eggs may hide.18 Chives are not often afflicted with these insects as they are more
commonly used to repel them, being planted around ornamental flowers to
deter aphid infestations.19
However, they do attract bees and have also been used to help restore
the bee population. When the plants are over watered or planted in
poorly draining soil, they are prone to the development of several types
of fungal growth including: • Botrytis rot Also called gray mold, this infection can spread quickly through your
garden in damp, cool weather. Prune back the infected plants, taking
care to thoroughly clean and disinfect your tools before using them on
other plants. Aerate the root area for good circulation and consider
using a copper soap fungicide.20 • Downy mildew Appearing as yellow to white patches on the upper portion of the
leaves, the best treatment is to avoid the conditions that encourage
development, destroy any heavily infected plants, encourage aeration
around the plant and consider copper spray for plants that may be
salvaged.21 • Powdery mildew. This coats the leaves and stems of plants with a powdery white substance that is not fatal unless left uncontrolled.22
Preventively you may spray the plants with a mixture of 1 tablespoon of
baking soda, one-half teaspoon of liquid soap and 1 gallon of water
during humid and damp weather. Baking soda
mixture will help prevent the condition but not cure it. If powdery
mildew develops consider trying a milk bath using 1-part milk to 2 or 3
parts water and spraying every day for 10 to 14 days.23 Normally a preventive, it has also helped to cure the condition. Use scissors to cut your chives approximately 2 inches above the
soil. Before the plant flowers, the leaves with most flavor will be on
the outside edges of the clump.24
Once the plant has flowered consider harvesting the blooms for your
salads and summer foods. Trim the flower, but remove the stem as it is
not tasty. Chives have the greatest flavor in the early summer months.
By mid-summer your leaves may fall over and not be as flavorful. Consider cutting back mature plants to 2 inches above the soil to
encourage new growth. However, do not do this with plants that are less
than 1 year old as it could damage their growth. Consider preserving
your spring crop to use throughout the summer months by cutting and
freezing, first on a cookie tray and then stored in a freezer bag. Chives do not maintain their flavor well when dried, so if you'd like
to preserve some of your crop, freezing is your best option. You may
want to harvest the seeds at the end of the summer for use the following
year if your winters are particularly harsh and the plants do not come
back. The seeds store well in Mason jars in the vegetable bin of your
refrigerator for up to three years.History and Facts
Chives Have Unique Health Benefits
Powerhouse Plant Is Vitamin Rich
Which Variety Would You Prefer?
Cultivating Chives at Home
Water and Pests
Harvesting and Preparing for Next Year
