A Culinary Herb or Garden Ornamental With Pretty White Flowers
Garlic chives are develop as a landscape painting perennial and culinary plant . The plant forms slowly dilate clumps and decorates the garden with its strappy , grass - alike , upright foliage for most of the turn time of year . Garlic chives begin flowering in late summer when many garden works start to look bedraggle . The flowers have a sweet scent and are attractive to butterflies , bees , and other pollinators .
The foliage boast a mild garlic savor that is perfect for dishes that need a flavor kick without the boldness of garlic .
Where to Plant Garlic Chives
works ail chives in a location with full sun and well - drained soil that is more or less acidic to neutral .
Garlic chives accompaniment annuals and perennial in the herbaceous plant and vegetable garden . As a member of the onion plant family , they make good comrade plants for beets , carrots , tomatoes , strawberry , potatoes , pieplant , broccoli , cabbage , Lycopersicon esculentum , eggplant , and peppers . They are also a giving addition to flower or repeated bed .
How and When to Plant Garlic Chives
Garlic chives are commonly originate from seed . As soon as the soil warms up , plant 4 to 6 seeds every 6 inches , ¼ inch deep . To get a caput originate on the growing time of year , start seeds indoors6 to 8 week before the last mean hoar engagement in your orbit .
Plants should be spaced 6 inches aside . Thin seedlings consequently .
Garlic Chives Care Tips
Once establish , garlic chives are notably heat- , cold- , and drought - tolerant .
Light
Garlic chives thrive infull sun .
Soil and Water
The flora is not finicky about soil quality . sound drainage , however , is crucial . The idealsoil pH scale is between 6.0 and 7.0 .
Although the plants are pretty drought - tolerant , they prosper in moderately moist soil .
Temperature and Humidity
Garlic chives tolerate both subzero winters and hot summertime . In utmost warmth above 85 degrees F. the plant may go dormant . The plant has no humidity preference .
Fertilizer
If you harvest the leafage regularly , fertilize the plant with agranular , slow - release all - use vegetable garden fertilizeronce in the springtime as the new increment starts , and again in June 21 . Garlic chives that are grow merely as ornamental typically do n’t postulate fertilizer .
Pruning
Garlic chives are prolific seeded player producers that ego - seed promptly . disregard off blossom stalks as presently as they wind up blooming to forbid rearing spread .
Potting and Repotting Garlic Chives
Garlic chives are splendid candidate for container growing . utilize a pile with big drainage pickle and meet it with well - draining potting commixture . Keep in psyche that potted plant life demand more frequent watering than plants in garden soil .
Although garlic chives are wintertime - hardy , in areas with cold winter , potted plants should be winterized to protect the origin . Bury the green goddess in the ground or place it in a larger potbelly to create an insulation silo .
Repot the plant life to a larger container with sweet potting soil when the origin have fill the container . you may also part the plant or else of planting it in a bigger pot .
Pests and Problems
Garlic chive have no experience pest or disease issues .
Their prolific ego - seeding may become a problem if the flowerheads are not removed before they set seed .
How to Propagate Garlic Chives
Garlic chives are propagate from ejaculate or by sectionalisation . To keep the plants vigorous , it is urge to divide the plant when they mislay their vigor , about every three years .
In the spring , just as the growing season embark on , dig up the clump , divide it into lowly sections , and replant those at the same depth as the original plant . piddle at once and keep the new plant well - water until it is established .
Harvesting
It takes garlic chives about 90 days to pass theharvest stage .
Harvest the leaves any time they are immature and use them just as you would traditionalchives . trend them with scissors or kitchen shear just above the dirt contrast . Do n’t harvest farewell with flowers on them , these are hempen , not palatable .
Fresh garlic chive have the strongest nip . hive away the leaves in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for up to a week . To dry or freeze down them , chop them up .
The flowers are also edible . Crumble them and add them to ball dishes or soup .
Frequently Asked Questions
Garlic chive are considered invasive in some term because they self - source easy . The undesirable seedlings are well-off to remove but to master their spread , absent the flowers before they plow into semen is more effective to control the spread .
During the combat-ready growing season , set the plant in a vivid , sunny location such as a south- or Cicily Isabel Fairfield - facing window . In the winter , endeavor to move it to a cooler locating and abridge the watering to slow its growth and induce plant quiescence .
update by Nadia Hassani
