The garlic chives is a plant that is grown for multiple uses. It can be cultivated as an ornamental, or harvested to season food, either dried or fresh. When used in cooking, many recipes substitute garlic chives for garlic and even onion to give added flavor to the dish.
I. Appearance and Characteristics
Allium tuberosum (garlic chives, Oriental garlic, Asian chives, Chinese chives, Chinese leek) is a species of plant native to the Chinese province of Shanxi, and cultivated and naturalized elsewhere in Asia and around the world.
Originally described by Johan Peter Rottler, the species name was validly published by Curt Polycarp Joachim Sprengel in 1825. A. tuberosum is classified within Allium in subgenus Butomissa (Salisb.) N. Friesen, section Butomissa (Salisb.) Kamelin, a group consisting of only A. tuberosum and A. ramosum L., which have been variously regarded as either one or two genetic entities.
Allium tuberosum is a rhizomatous, clump-forming perennial plant growing from a small, elongated bulb (about 10 mm; 13⁄32 inch, across) that is tough and fibrous. Unlike either onion or garlic, it has strap-shaped leaves with triangular bases, about 1.5 to 8 mm (1⁄16 to 5⁄16 in) wide. It produces many white flowers in a round cluster (umbel) on stalks 25 to 60 cm (10 to 24 in) tall. It grows in slowly expanding perennial clumps, but also readily sprouts from seed. In warmer areas (USDA zone 8 and warmer), garlic chives may remain green all year round. In cold areas (USDA zones 7 to 4b), leaves and stalks completely die back to the ground, and resprout from roots or rhizomes in the spring.
The flavor is more like garlic than chives.
Often grown as an ornamental plant in gardens, several cultivars are available. A. tuberosum is distinctive by blooming later than most native or naturalised species of Allium. It is cold-hardy to USDA zones 4–10 (−30 to +35 °F; −34 to 2 °C). Garlic chives are regarded as easy to grow in many conditions and may spread readily by seeds or can be intentionally propagated by dividing their clumps.
A number of varieties have been developed for either improved leaf (e.g. ‘Shiva’) or flower stem (e.g. ‘Nien Hua’) production. While the emphasis in Asia has been primarily culinary, in North America, the interest has been more as an ornamental. ‘Monstrosum’ is a giant ornamental cultivar.
II. How to Grow and Care
Sun and Temperature
Grow garlic chives in full sun to partial shade with around 4-6 hours of sunlight a day for optimal growth. As a cool-season plant, garlic chives require the cooler temperatures of spring and late summer to develop leaves and flowers. High temperatures can cause garlic chives to become temporarily dormant. The ideal growing temperature range is 40-85ºF (4-29ºC) in USDA zones 3-9.
Bulbs and rhizomes should weather freezing temperatures pretty well, but if in doubt add mulch for winter protection.
Yellow chives (known as called gow wang in Cantonese) are garlic chives grown without light. If you’d like to grow some yellow chives to add to noodle and seafood dishes, provide no light at all!
Water and Humidity
Garlic chives will tolerate periods of drought but grow best in consistently moist soils. The bulbs are located close to the surface and can dry out quickly, so water when the ground feels dry and apply mulches to retain moisture. Water in the morning using soaker hoses, watering cans, or sprinklers, ensuring the chives are given a good long drink.
Winter watering isn’t necessary in colder climates. However, in warmer climates where garlic chives are evergreen, it will need to be watered occasionally.
Soil
The perfect conditions for growing garlic chives are fertile, moisture-retentive, well-drained sandy loam soil with lots of organic matter dug in or added as a mulch. The preferred pH range is 6-7 and the soil temperature required for germination is 60-70ºF (15-21ºC).
Fertilizing
Prepare beds before planting with a slow-release 16-16-8 NPK fertilizer. Directly sown and established plants can be top-dressed with a nitrogen-rich fertilizer in late spring/early summer and watered in well. Provide a good mulch over winter to retain moisture and provide nutrients for the start of the following season.
Planting Instructions
Plant garlic chives in a location with full sun and well-drained soil that is slightly acidic to neutral.
Garlic chives are commonly grown from seed. As soon as the soil warms up, plant 4 to 6 seeds every 6 inches, ¼ inch deep. To get a head start on the growing season, start seeds indoors 6 to 8 weeks before the last average frost date in your area.
Plants should be spaced 6 inches apart. Thin seedlings accordingly.
Pruning
Treat garlic chives as a cut and come again herb; the more you cut, the more it grows back. Top garlic chives leaves back to a couple of inches above the ground to keep the plant tidy and to stimulate fresh growth.
If you don’t want garlic chive seedlings popping up around the garden, prune the flower stems to ground level when the seed heads begin to ripen. Clear away any dead foliage as the plant dies back in winter.
Propagation
There are two simple ways to propagate garlic chives; sowing seed and division.
Start garlic chives indoors in autumn or early spring around 6-8 weeks before the last frost date. Sow 4-5 seeds per module half an inch deep in general potting compost. Seeds can also be broadcast into a seed tray. Garlic chives seeds don’t require light to germinate, but they do need heat between 60-70ºF (15-21ºC). Place your seed trays somewhere warm to stimulate germination; this can take 1-3 weeks. Once germinated, move seedlings to a bright location. When they are a few inches tall and all risk of frost has passed, plant them outside in small bunches, spaced 12 inches (30 cms) apart.
After three years garlic chive bulbs may become congested and lose their vigor so division is the best action to take to produce healthy crops. There are two ways to do this. Offsets of flowering chives growing from the main clump of bulbs can be gently teased out and potted on. Or, carefully dig around the entire plant and pull apart bunches of 4-5 bulbs to form new plants.
Pests and Diseases
Common Pests
Onion flies are not put off by the strong scent of garlic chives. They lay eggs at the base of plants and the hatching maggots feast on the bulbs. Cover crops with insect mesh to protect from adult flies and apply predatory soil nematodes to deal with the maggots.
Thrips are another insect undeterred by the garlic scent. These sap-sucking insects make plants unsightly and inedible. Spray with neem oil or insecticidal soap to keep numbers down.
Allium leaf miner larvae bore through the leaf membrane leaving visible translucent trials and destroying roots and bulbs of leeks, garlic, and chives, often resulting in the death of the whole plant. The best line of defense is to cover crops with insect-proof mesh and apply good crop rotation to avoid reinfestation from overwintering pupae.
Common Diseases
Onion white rot, botanically known as Stromatinia cepivora, is a fungal disease stimulated by compounds emitted by onions and transmitted in contaminated soil. It is identified by yellow, wilting leaves and rotting roots and bulbs covered in white fluffy fungus and a black seed-like growth. Once you have it, it’s almost impossible to eradicate and in this case, prevention is better than cure. Do not grow any related crops in previously contaminated sites and apply good crop rotation.
Downy mildew is a fungal disease that mainly affects foliage causing it to yellow and wilt. Spray with copper-based fungicides or neem oil on first sight of infection.
III. Uses and Benefits
- Ornamental uses
Garlic chives is a popular plant in perennial gardens prized for its showy white blooms. It is used as an ornamental plant, and essential in bulb and herb gardens. Plant garlic chives with celery, peas, and lettuce to deter garden pests.
- Culinary uses
China
The leaves are used as a flavoring in a similar way to chives, scallions as a stir fry ingredient. In China, they are often used to make dumplings with eggs, shrimp, and/or pork. A Chinese flatbread similar to the scallion pancake may be made with garlic chives instead of scallions. Garlic chives are also one of the main ingredients used with yi mein dishes. Its flowers are fermented to make garlic chive flower sauce (韭花酱). When grown in dark environments, it is known as jiuhuang (韭黄) and is used in various stir fry dishes.
India
In Manipur and other northeastern states of India, it is grown and used as a substitute for garlic and onion in cooking and is known as maroi nakuppi in Manipuri.
Japan
In Japan, where the plant is known as nira, it is used for both garlic and sweet flavors, in miso soups and salads, stir-fries with eggs, and Japanese dishes such as gyōza dumplings and fried liver.
Central Asia
In Central Asian countries such as Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, where the plant has been introduced through cultivation by Dungan farmers and ties with neighboring China, garlic chives are known by transliterations of their name. Used in cooking, it is sometimes added as a filling to manty, samsa, laghman, yuta, ashlan-fu, and other typical dishes.
Korea
Known as buchu (부추), garlic chives are widely used in Korean cuisine. They can be eaten fresh as namul, pickled as kimchi and jangajji, and pan-fried in buchimgae (pancake). they are also one of the most common herbs served with gukbap (soup with rice), as well as a common ingredient in mandu (dumplings).
Nepal
In Nepal, cooks fry a curried vegetable dish of potatoes and A. tuberosum known as dunduko sag.
Vietnam
In Vietnam, the leaves of garlic chives, known as hẹ, are cut up into short pieces and used as the only vegetable in a broth with sliced pork kidneys.
IV. Harvesting and Storage
Now for the best bit, harvesting and storing this culinary prize! Garlic chives are popular as produced throughout Asia and often used in recipes. Their flavor enhances stir fry dishes, other vegetables and more.
Harvesting
Wild garlic chives are ready to harvest around 8 weeks after sowing and 4 weeks after planting out or when new growth is produced in spring from older plants. Fresh garlic chives have the best flavor when they are young; older greens tend to be tough. When harvesting cut leaves back to 1-2 inches from the base.
Garlic scapes are the delicious flower stems and are at their best before the umbel bud opens. Individual flower buds and whole flowers are also edible and can be harvested as and when needed. To harvest flowers and scapes cut the stems back to ground level.
Storing
Chopped garlic chives will store in the fridge for a week wrapped in moist kitchen paper or plastic bag, or longer if stored in ice cube trays in the freezer. You can always throw a cube into stir fries as needed. Fresh garlic chives lose their flavor with drying.
Throw them in a soup, stir fry, bake them into savory breads, egg dishes, or mix them into soft cheeses and sour cream. If none of these tickle your fancy, try infusing them in herbal vinegars, or marinating grilled meat with them. They are pungent when eaten raw, and more powerful than regular chives.
