Allium schoenoprasum
Chives
Photo: Jamain · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Source
Description
Chives are the least demanding seasoning plant in the garden: perennial, hardy and sprouting again by themselves every spring. The tubular stalks refine quark, soups and salads, and the pretty purple flowers are edible and attract bees.
Care instructions
Plant them in a sunny to partly shaded spot with nutrient-rich, moist soil. Cut the stalks regularly just above the ground, then they flush back tender; do not let everything flower, otherwise the stalks turn tough. Divide the clump every few years in spring, which keeps it young and vigorous.
Soil & site
Soil pH
Soil type
loamy, humus-rich, well-drained, moist, nutrient-rich
Feeding
Medium feeder
Companion planting
Good neighbors
carrot family (Apiaceae)
Umbellifers and alliums confuse each other's pests (carrot fly, onion fly).
For example celery rootDillCarrot fennelCorianderCelery (Stalk Celery)Caraway and 17 more species in the catalogue
Source: classic companion planting (DACH-Gartenpraxis)
rose family (Rosaceae)
You can plant garlic and chives under strawberries and roses; their scent repels aphids and other pests.
For example RaspberryAroniaBlackberryApple roseMirabelle plumplum and 46 more species in the catalogue
Source: Bio-Gärtnerei Mixed Culture Practice
Rather not
legume family (Fabaceae)
particularly well establishedAllium species inhibit the nitrogen‑fixing rhizobia of legumes through their root exudates, which slows their growth.
For example Bush beanPole beanBroad beanMarker peaSugar peaRed bean and 30 more species in the catalogue
Source: basic crop‑rotation rule
nightshade family (Solanaceae)
Onions slow down the growth of nightshade family plants next to potatoes and tomatoes; the classic crop-rotation rule also applies in the bed side by side.
For example PotatoSweet pepperCocktail tomatoEggplantCape gooseberryChili and 8 more species in the catalogue
Source: basic crop-rotation rule
Companion planting is partly traditional gardening lore. Where the reason is known, it is given.
Some of these explanations were machine-translated.
Diseases & pests
1 relevantFrom the knowledge base, automatically linked by affected species. How to spot and prevent them is covered in full in the lexicon.
Puccinia allii
Leek rust is a fungal disease on leek, garlic, onion and chives. Bright orange yellow, elongated spore pustules form on the leaves and leaf sheaths, which burst open and dust off rust coloured powder.
More on Leek rustNotes from real gardens
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