Chive plants - Allium schoenoprasum

Fine Chives is a variety that stands out for its flavour. Chives are ideal for enhancing salads, omelettes, or fresh cheeses. This aromatic plant, with round and hollow leaves, forms a tuft 25 to 30 cm (10 to 12in) high and can also be used in ornamental gardens, as its flowering is charming. The plug plants of Fine Chives are planted from April to July. Harvesting takes place from June to October.

Chives are a tasty perennial aromatic plant. It is one of the most popular fine herbs. It belongs to the same family as garlic, onion, and shallot. It has a tufted habit and delicate hollow and cylindrical leaves. It is a perennial plant that will be cultivated for two or three years because, beyond that, it tends to exhaust itself and become less productive. It will then need to be divided. Chives are a must-have in herb gardens, but nothing is stopping you from mixing genres and planting them everywhere in the garden, especially at the base of roses: its pompom-like flowering in pinkish-purple is charming, and its aromas repel aphids and prevent black spot disease.

In terms of cuisine, its sprigs' small, fresh, garlic-like, and slightly spicy taste is suitable for many dishes: omelettes, stuffings, savoury tarts, or seasoning fresh cheeses.

Harvest: Chives can be harvested over a long period, from late spring to autumn, simply by using scissors to cut the stems at the base of the tuft. Regular harvests stimulate the renewal of foliage.

Storage: Chives can be stored in the refrigerator for a few days or months by drying or freezing. However, it is preferable to consume it freshly picked to enjoy its fragrance fully.

Gardener's tip: To limit watering, we recommend mulching the soil with thin successive layers of grass clippings, if possible, mixed with dead leaves. This protection, which keeps the soil moist, also reduces weeding. Chives do not require watering except in case of extreme heat.