Chives are one of the most popular culinary herbs in German gardens and on German balconies. However, the herb owes its popularity not only to its aroma and high content of various vitamins, but also to the fact that the plant is quite easy to grow and care for.
Is chives a light germinator?
Chives are not light germinators, but rather cold or frost germinators that germinate better in the dark and at cooler temperatures (optimally between 0 and 10 °C). Sow directly in a bed or pot outdoors in March or April if the ground is frost-free.
Chives need cold to germinate
Most culinary herbs belong to the category of light germinators, i.e. H. When sowing, they must not be covered with soil, but rather lightly pressed against it. There are only a few exceptions, chives being one of them. But chives not only germinate better in the dark, as they are frost or cold germinators they also need cooler temperatures of up to a maximum of 18 °C. However, germination temperatures between just above zero and around 10 °C are optimal. You must consider these two requirements if you want to successfully grow chives yourself.
Sowing chives
As a cold germinator, chives are also one of the plants that do not need to be grown on the warm windowsill. Instead, simply sow the fine seeds directly in the bed or in the pot (which is best placed outside) from mid-March / beginning of April at the latest. However, make sure that the ground is free of frost. Sowing is best done as follows:
- Choose a sunny to partially shaded location with humus-rich soil.
- Mix a moist sand/humus mixture with the seeds.
- Prepare the sowing area: Dig the bed properly and work in compost (€12.00 on Amazon), manure or horn shavings.
- Crush the soil and rake the area nice and smooth.
- Now spread the soil-seed mixture evenly.
- Sift another layer of garden soil about one to two centimeters thick.
- In very cold weather you can still cover the area with newspaper.
- The newspaper keeps frosty temperatures away, but does not create a humid greenhouse climate.
- Such a humid climate should be avoided, otherwise mold can form.
Depending on the temperature and weather, the first green tips will appear within seven to fourteen days.
Tips & Tricks
Although you can harvest fresh stalks from the young plant in the first summer, you should still cut back. In this first year, the chives should have the chance to grow and strengthen themselves - then in the second year they will tolerate vigorous cutting much better.
