Herbs – Garlic Chives – Heirloom Seeds

Garlic chives, also known as Chinese chives, have flat leaves with a mild garlic flavour that is used fresh in salads, omelettes, dumplings and stir-fries. The white star-shaped flowers are edible and attract bees. The clumps are hardy, grow back every year and are very easy to keep in a pot or herb bed.

Growing guide for South Africa

• When to sow: spring (September to November) or autumn (March to April) in mild areas. Use fresh seed, because allium seed loses viability quickly.
• How to sow: sow thinly on the surface or cover with only about 5 mm of soil, keep moist, and thin or transplant seedlings to 20 to 25 cm apart.
• Germination: 7 to 21 days at 16 to 21 degrees C.
• Position: full sun to light shade, in well-drained, compost-rich soil.
• Harvest: start cutting leaves about 60 to 90 days after sowing. Cut 5 cm above the base and the plant regrows.
• Care: water regularly in dry spells, feed lightly with compost, divide clumps every 2 to 3 years, and remove flower heads before the seeds drop if you do not want it to self-seed. In cold Highveld winters the leaves die back and regrow in spring.

Quick facts: Packet: heirloom seed. Height 30 to 50 cm. Perennial. Sowing times are a guide: adjust for your local frost dates and climate.