Sowing Chives

Sowing chives is a pleasant activity, especially with the desired result in mind after a few months.

Chives in the vegetable garden

Chives can be sown or planted in any garden or vegetable garden. Chives also grow well in a pot, but keep in mind that you have to add some nutrition after a month or two. The great thing about chives is that you can eat it in many dishes. Chives is a hardy herb so after the winter the plant usually comes up again and you can enjoy fresh chives from your own garden again!

When is the best time to sow chives

You can sow chives in early spring. Chive seeds germinate easily in cold temperatures. Avoid sowing chives in the summer. It does take some time to germinate the seeds, but the result will be there after a while. You can begin harvesting the chives about 60 days after seeding. Chives are perennial so it will come back year after year! 

How to sow chives

You can sow chives in pots with airy soil. Sow seeds about  half a centimeter apart and then cover with a thin layer of soil. Keep the soil moist. You can thin them when the seedlings emerge. Directly in the ground is of course also possible, but keep in mind that you put it directly in the right place.

Where to sow chives

Do not sow chives in full sun! It is best to sow the chives in a spot with half sun / half shade. If you sow indoors, the seeds may not germinate because it is too hot inside. In that case you can put the pots outside for a few weeks from February. Chive seeds germinate between 7 and 14 days. Keep the soil moist but not soaked!

Chive seeds

To get the best results from the chive seeds, it is recommended to use fresh seeds. The germination capacity of the chive seeds deteriorates quickly, so it is important to use fresh seeds. The chive seeds are small and black in color

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Chive cuttings

You can easily propagate chives by separating and transplanting a clump from your existing chives plant. All you have to do is dig out a part of your chive plant and repot it. It's definitely worth it and you don’t need to buy new plants in a garden centra!

Freezing chives

You can store the chives for 12 months in a freezer at a minimum temperature of -18 degrees. You can also keep the chives in the fridge for 2 days, just wrap the chives in a damp piece of kitchen paper and put it in the fridge. Or eat it directly after harvesting! Just clean it with some water and add it to the soup or to a cheese sandwich.

Drying chives

There are at least 3 ways to dry the chives.

1. In an oven: Wash the chives and then cut it into small pieces and place them on a clean baking sheet. Set the oven to 40° and dry the chives in the oven for 1 to 2 hours. Check it regularly. After the chives have become crispy, you can let them cool down and then place them in an airtight clean glass jar. After about half a year, the taste of chives will diminish slightly.
2. In a food dehydrator: basically the same description as above, only slightly shorter. Around 1 to 1.5 hours.
3. Dry chives by hanging them up: Wash the chives and then bundle them. You can put the bundles upside down in a paper bag and hang them up. Make some small incisions in the bag to allow the air to flow. Let it hang for about 2 weeks and then check if the chives are dry before placing them in a jar.

Growing Herbs

Growing herbs is a healthy activity. Besides that you are actively involved, it is also wonderful to always have fresh herbs around. Almost all herbs have a medicinal effect and health benefits. In the webshop of Dutch Garden Seeds we have more than 40 different types of herbs and there are about 15 Organic herbal seeds.

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