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Chives (Allium schoenoprasum) are a member of the onion family. This hardy perennial herb with the hollow grass-like, dark green leaves is a must for all indoor herb gardens.
They make a great edible houseplant that is frequently used for flavoring omelets, soups, stews, salads, stir-frys, vegetables, cheese dishes, poultry, and seafood.
You can grow them right on a sunny windowsill and harvest them as
needed. They require minimal care and can be started from seeds or from
transplants from the garden center.
Sow at any time if the plant is always to be kept indoors. Sow seeds
shallowly (1/4" deep) in light soil that is rich in organic matter in
small pots or starter trays. Keep plants in moist clean soil and place
in a warm, well-lit area of the kitchen. Seeds should germinate in 14-18
days and mature in 80-90 days.
If you don't want to wait that long, get the young potted herb plants and repot them.
Watering: Water and let soil dry out between waterings, then water when the soil feels dry just below the surface.
Fertilizing: For indoor plants, using a liquid
fertilizer once every four to six weeks will improve growth. Do not use fertilizer during winter when light is poor. The plant will go dormant and may
even die back some. Resume feedings in the spring when plants rally back with new growth.
Temperature: Keep
temperature around 65 to 68 degrees Fahrenheit with a few degrees lower
at night.
Containers: Terra-cotta pots are ideal for this
annual herb, but you can use any kind of container you like. Containers
should be 8 to 10 inches deep and have several holes in the bottom for
drainage, and soil should be well drained, not heavy. Use a good houseplant potting mix.
Harvesting: Clip the herbs with scissors for as often as desired, leaving about 2 inches for re-growth.
Mix clean
chopped leaves with light vegetable, canola or grapeseed oil and fill
ice cube trays two-thirds full with mixture and freeze. Store frozen
cubes in freezer-safe bags. Frozen herbs will retain flavor up to one
year.
When flowers develop, pinch them off to make the plants
continuously produce new flavorful leaves and more compact growth. You
can keep the flowers for seeds.