The vitamin-rich chives are known by many names: botanists call them Allium schoenoprasum, popular names such as scallion, Grusenich or rush onion are common. The plant is one of the most popular culinary herbs and in France even one of the so-called “fines herbes”. Chives are usually propagated by division, but you can also grow your own plants from the seeds.
How do you sow chives correctly?
Chives can be propagated by sowing: From mid-March to mid-April, sow chive seeds about 2 cm deep in a partially shaded location and humus-rich soil, cover with soil and keep moist. Germination occurs within 14 days at temperatures below 18°C.
propagation by sowing not with every variety
However, this type of cultivation is quite tricky. On the one hand, this is because not every variety of chives can be grown from seeds - some chives can only be propagated by division - and on the other hand, because propagation by seeds is generally not that easy due to possible mutations. In addition, chives are cold germinators, i.e. H. it needs temperatures below 18 °C to be stimulated to germinate. For this reason, you can plant the chive seeds directly outdoors from around mid-March to mid-April; it is not necessary to grow them on the windowsill.
- Prepare the selected planting site well.
- The location should be partially shaded if possible; the soil is loose but rich in humus.
- Dig the planting site thoroughly and remove all weeds.
- Make sure to keep the planting site free of any weeds in the future.
- Crush up any chunks of earth and rake the area nice and smooth.
- Now you can make depressions in the ground, about two centimeters deep.
- Distribute the seeds into the wells, about 300 per meter.
- Chives are dark germinators, i.e. H. You need to cover the seeds with soil.
- Keep the soil moist but protect it from heavy rain.
The seeds usually germinate within about 14 days. If you want to grow chives in a pot, then sow a few seeds in a suitable planter and place it on the balcony. In the room, however, it is often too warm for the chives. Use growing or herb soil (€6.00 at Amazon) for the seedlings.
Caring for seedlings
The young seedlings should be
- heavy rain
- Frost
- strong sunlight
- and weeds
be protected. Make sure that the young plants are not too close together, as this hinders growth and promotes the dreaded “damping-off disease”. This is a disease caused by fungi that is promoted by a lack of light and air.
Tips & Tricks
You can also make it easier for yourself - if you already have a chive plant and want to propagate it - and let the chives sow themselves. It is enough to let a few flowers ripen - the later ripened seeds fall to the ground and overwinter there. The young plants appear in spring.