Garlic Chives are most attractive plants for the flower border and is also one of the most useful herbs for the kitchen. They will produce a mild flavor of garlic instead of onion. Garlic chives, a member of the allium family are easy to grow and productive from spring until hard frosts.

Ideal Location - Garlic Chives prefer a sunny location in a rich, moist, but well-drained soil, but are also quite capable of growing in adverse conditions.

Cultivation - Garlic chives sprout easily from seed, after which the plants can easily be propagated by clump division. Space the clumps 9 in.(28cm) apart and 2 in.(5cm) deep. It is wise to re-divide one's garlic chives every few years, to maintain plant vigor. Division can be done almost anytime, but is probably best done in spring. Water the plants regularly especially during dry spells. Garlic chives generally like moist (but waterlogged) soil. During their first season, hold down watering to encourage root growth. If your herb plant seems to be getting woody, prune all down to about 1in.(2.5cm) above the soil level to let new growth begin. Garlic chives tend to go dormant in climates with harsh winters.

Harvesting- Garlic chives need to be harvested often. You can treat it like ordinary chives, pinching off any flower buds that appear, or you can let it flower in the autumn, as the buds and flowers are as edible as the leaves. The leaves are flat shaped rather than tube shaped like regular chives but are cut the same to within 1in. (25cm)of soil level.

 

Uses- this close cousin to regular chives has a mild garlic flavor and is sometimes called Chinese Chives since they are used primarily in Asian cooking. Pink flowers appear on the common Chives and the Garlic chives have white flowers. They are also edible and can be used to garnish salads. Garlic chives is also rich in minerals, especially calcium and iron. Use tender, mild chives leaves to season cream cheese and butter, and in salads, soups, vegetables, sauces, egg dishes, meat and poultry, and seafood -especially salmon, caviar, and oysters.Garlic Chives were used in traditional folk medicine to treat intestinal parasites, enhance the immune system, stimulate digestion, and treat anemia.