Sow 1/4" deep
Direct sow once spring soil warms, or start plugs 6–8 weeks before your final frost.
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A seed worth growing
A slender-leaved chive for bunching.
Nelly is a fine- to medium-leaf chive with an even, upright habit and dark green leaves.
Slender leaves like these are popular for fresh use and bunching, and they look refined on the plate.
About 75–85 days from sowing. Plants grow 12–18" tall. Open-pollinated, certified organic seed.
In stock — Packet
Know before you sow
Growing times vary with weather, soil and local conditions.
Direct sow once spring soil warms, or start plugs 6–8 weeks before your final frost.
Rows 18" apart in rich, humus-heavy soil; sun or part shade.
Harvest before bloom, three or four times a year once established.
Split old clumps every 3–4 years to keep them productive.
Seedlings usually show within one to two weeks when the soil is held around 65–70°F (18–21°C).
Chives do best sown where they will grow. Once the soil warms in spring, sow 1/4" deep, either in small groups of four to six seeds spaced 6" apart or at one or two seeds to the inch along the row. Thin the seedlings to clusters of two or three plants, 2–8" apart, and weed often, since young chives compete poorly.
For an earlier start, sow in flats about 6–8 weeks ahead of your final frost date, with several seeds to each plug, and thin each plug to three or four seedlings. Set the small clumps out 2–8" apart, leaving 18" between rows.
Usually 12–18".
Full sun to part shade.
Clumps 2–8" apart.
A perennial, hardy in Zones 3–9.
Reasonably rich soil with plenty of humus.
When plants are established, cut leaves off at the base before the flower buds form; a healthy stand gives three or four cuttings a year. Use them fresh, or cut them into short pieces, about 1/4–1/2" long, and dry them spread thinly on a screen in an airy spot away from direct sun, stirring occasionally.
Lift and split mature clumps every three or four years to keep them vigorous.
Allium schoenoprasum
200 seeds.
About 19,300 on average.
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