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When to Pick & Cure Chives?

While chives are related to the onion, it is the leaves of the chive, not the root, used for consumption. In reality, the plant resembles a clump of grass, although it does bear small purple blooms during the late spring. Fresh chives are commonly used as a food seasoning, although the leaves can be dried for later use.

  1. When to Pick Chives

    • Pick the chives anytime the plants leaves are long enough to use. This can occur as soon as two months after planting chive seeds or one month after a plant is transplanted into the garden or a container.

    How to Pick Chives

    • Clip the chive leaves with a scissors or knife about 1 inch above the soil. You can selectively clip some of the leaves of the chive or trim the entire plant clump for a bigger supply. Limit entire plant clipping to once about every two months for new plants and once a month for established plants.

    Curing or Drying Chives

    • Chives can be cured or dried in a number of ways. Chop the chives into 1/4-inch pieces, and place in a single layer in a food dehydrator at 110 degrees for about five hours. To dry outdoors, spread the chopped chives in a single layer on a tray placed away from direct sunlight on a dry day. Another option is to dry the chopped chives on a tray in an oven, with the door slightly open, set at 110 degrees F.

    Maintaining Production

    • Clip the stem that supports the flower at the soil level after the flower begins to dry. This stops the development of seeds, which allows the chive plant to maintain energy levels for plant growth. Plant chives in full sun, or keep the potted plant in a sunny window. Even indoors, the plant may look stunted if winter light is limited, but the plant will improve when the plant gets full summer sunshine.

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Growing Herbs
  1. When to Plant Garlic?
  2. When to Plant Cilantro in Colorado
  3. How to Clip Chives
  4. When to Transplant a ZZ Plant
  5. When to Plant Jicama
  6. When to Plant Vinca
  7. When to Plant Cotoneaster?
  8. Are Chives a Perennial?
  9. When to Dig Horseradish?
  10. When to Plant Bee Balm?
  11. When to Pick Fennel
  12. When to Plant Chamomile Seeds?

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