Growing and Using Garlic Chives
 (Read 100+ times)
By Brenda Hyde
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Garlic chives, Allium tuberosum, is a hardy perennial (Zones 3-9) that will grow to about 12 inches high. The stems are skinnier and flat, instead of hollow as are regular chives, with greenish white blooms that are about an inch wide and not as rounded. They bloom in the summer rather than spring. The bloom stalks grow much taller than the leaves, sometimes up to 30 inches. The stems and blooms are both edible and have a mild garlic onion taste. I've noticed many gardeners think of garlic chives as primarily an Asian herb, as it is also known as Chinese chives, Chinese leeks, ku chai (China) or Nira (Japan), but it has many other uses as well.
Garlic chives can be started from seed, but it does need to be fresh to germinate properly, so be sure to buy seeds from a reputable source or harvest your own. To encourage germination the seeds can be put in the refrigerator for a week before planting. The plants do self seed and WILL pop up all over your garden if left to do so. Using the blooms or shearing them off before they scatter is a good way to control the self sowing. Plant them inside in pots or sow outside as soon as you can work the ground in the spring.
The seeds are very tiny, so be sure to sow carefully and mark where you have planted. Plant 1/4 inch deep and about 1 inch apart. I used a good potting soil inside, and outside any soil will do, though they will do better in a fertile spot. Germination can take up to two weeks. They like to be kept evenly moist to do their best, but will tolerate a dry spells. Full sun is preferred but they will grow in light shade. Garlic chives grow in a clump that is closer together than regular chives, and they grow much faster. The clumps can be divided into sections every 3 years and replanted.
It's important to harvest your garlic chives on a regular basis, clipping them almost to the ground. This keeps the plant producing fresh leaves. If you can't use them all, at least cut and add to the compost pile or give to a friend. Chinese gardeners will often "blanch" part of their garlic chive crop by harvesting a plant to the ground, then covering with a layer of straw or a paper tent. The chives will still grow but will be white in color. It can then be cooked as a vegetable. The flowers are often dried and ground to use as a spice in Asian cooking.
Store garlic chives in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for up to a week. They may be snipped with scissors and used in both fresh and cooked dishes. The seeds can also be used to grow peppery sprouts for salads. Many people dry chives, but I mostly use them fresh, or I freeze snipped chives in small freezer bags.
Garlic chives can be used just as you use regular chives. They can be snipped into Parmesan cheese and used as a topping for pizza or garlic bread. Gently sauté them in butter and add shrimp for a nice pasta topping. Try adding them to your potato cooking water when making mashed potatoes for a nice flavor too. You can sprinkle a bunch that has been snipped into 1 inch pieces to stir fry or cooked cabbage dishes before serving. Once you use them a few times you will think of more uses for this easy to grow herb.
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Author Bio Box: Brenda Hyde
 Brenda Hyde is a freelance writer, cook, gardener and mom. Growing and using herbs has become one of her favorite things. Visit her blog http://grace-whimsy.blogspot.com for more gardening tips and recipes.
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