Permapotes

Chives

Chives: Sowing, planting and harvest calendar

Chives, Allium schoenoprasum, are a perennial aromatic plant in the same genus as onions, garlic and leeks. They belong to the amaryllis family, which now includes alliums formerly classified in the onion family. They are best known for their slender green leaves and onion scent, which is more delicate than that of a raw onion bulb. This identity makes them a familiar seasoning whose appeal comes from the foliage rather than from large edible bulbs.

The edible green strands are hollow, tubular leaves grouped in clumps. Their narrow shape gives the plant an appearance similar to a small grass, although it belongs to a different botanical group. Small, closely packed bulbs at the base contribute to the clump’s structure. The foliage adds fine upright lines that contrast with the broad leaves of basil or the divided leaves of parsley. This difference in texture also gives chives visual appeal within a group of culinary herbs.

In the kitchen, the leaves accompany omelettes, egg dishes, fish, stuffings and sauces. They also pair with soft cheese, creamy preparations, potatoes and salads. Their onion flavour adds an aromatic note without making the dish a preparation based on onion bulbs. Small green pieces give seasoned sauces and cheeses a recognisable appearance. Chives can therefore provide both seasoning and colour in simple recipes, with a different role from the larger vegetables that belong to the same genus.

Flowering produces rounded heads, generally pink to mauve, held above the foliage. Each head contains many small flowers rather than one large bloom. They attract bees and other pollinators and add colour contrast to the green leaves. The plant therefore has ornamental appeal in borders or among other perennials as well as culinary usefulness. Its life cycle is perennial: the leaves can disappear over winter, with new shoots developing in the following season.

Several varieties exist, differing in size, foliage or flowering, including forms with white flowers. Common chives differ from garlic chives, Allium tuberosum, which have flat leaves and white flowers. When choosing your plant, the species, fragrance and appearance of the foliage provide useful reference points. A clump of tubular leaves and rounded flower heads particularly characterise the chives described here. These traits distinguish them from other culinary alliums even when the plants share a familiar onion or garlic scent.

Chives
Chives
Characteristics
  • Lifecycle : Perennial
  • Exposure : Full Sun
  • Frost Hardiness : Frost Resistant
  • Cultivation Difficulty : Easy
  • Mature height : 25 cm
Sowing & Planting
  • Greenhouse Growing : Not Required
  • Sowing Depth : 1 cm
  • Plant Spacing : 10 cm
  • Row Spacing : 15 cm
Maintenance
  • Maintenance : Low
  • Water Requirements : Moderate
Other characteristics
  • Soil Type : Humus-rich
  • Soil pH Preference : Neutral
  • Pest Sensitivity : Low
  • Disease Sensitivity : Low
  • Weed Sensitivity : Low
  • Pollination : Insect-pollinated
  • Propagation : Division