Growing Garlic chives

Garlic chives bring a mild, fresh garlic flavour to the garden, from spring right through to autumn. The plant originally comes from south-west China, where it grows wild in mountainous areas beneath shrubs. In Asia it has been a kitchen staple for thousands of years, while over here it's still a bit of an insider tip – but one that's gaining more and more fans.

This hardy perennial grows in clumps and produces flat, strap-shaped leaves that reach between 30 and 80 cm tall depending on the variety. From July to September, pretty white flower umbels appear, attracting bees and butterflies in droves. Every part of the plant is edible: leaves, flowers, buds and even the small bulbs above the root. In Japan the plant is called Nira, in Korea Buchu and in China Jiucai.

Garlic chives are extremely winter-hardy and tolerate temperatures down to around minus 20 degrees. In winter the foliage dies back, but the plant reliably sprouts again in spring. Every three to four years you should divide the clumps to rejuvenate them.

You can start garlic chives indoors or sow them directly into the bed. For indoor sowing, place around 10 to 15 seeds in a pot from late February to mid-April and keep it on a windowsill at about 20 degrees. Once they've germinated, you can divide the clumps so that four to five seedlings stay together. From mid-May, when there's no more risk of frost, the young plants can go outdoors.

Direct sowing works from April to August. Place the seeds about 1 to 2 cm deep in the soil, water well afterwards and keep consistently moist. Germination takes up to 28 days.

You can easily propagate existing clumps by division. Simply dig them up in spring or late summer, carefully split them into two or three pieces and replant them at least 30 cm apart. In the first year the plants grow rather slowly, but from the second year onwards they really take off.

Garlic chives like it sunny to partially shaded and prefer a warm, sheltered spot.

The soil should ideally be rich in humus and nutrients, consistently moist but never waterlogged. Waterlogging is actually the biggest risk for this otherwise very robust plant. A bit of sand in the soil improves drainage. Working in a good helping of compost before planting is enough as fertiliser.

The range of garlic chive varieties is growing slowly but steadily. They mainly differ in height, leaf width and flavour intensity. 'Knolau' is a robust standard variety that reaches up to 50 cm tall and delivers reliably good yields. If you're looking for something more compact for a balcony or smaller beds, 'Kobold' is a great choice – a variety with thin, aromatic stems. 'Monstrosum' goes in the opposite direction and can reach up to 80 cm tall.

For broad, thick stems there are varieties like 'Fat Leaf' or 'Kiss me', where the name 'Kiss me' is a playful nod to the lack of bad breath. Numerous other varieties come from East Asia, some of which have a very mild flavour.

Garlic chives are really low-maintenance. Outdoors, rainfall is usually enough – you only need to water deliberately during prolonged dry spells or when temperatures exceed 30 degrees. Best to water in the morning or evening so the wet leaves don't scorch in the midday sun. When growing in pots, check more often and make sure there are drainage holes.

After a good hard cut-back, a small extra dose of liquid fertiliser can boost regrowth. Don't fertilise in winter.

Keep the bed weed-free, as young plants in particular can easily be crowded out by weeds. A layer of mulch made from grass clippings or wood chips helps suppress weeds, retains moisture and protects the roots. Regular harvesting encourages fresh growth and delays flowering. If you don't want uncontrolled self-seeding, remove the flower heads in good time – garlic chives can spread quite a bit otherwise.

Downy mildew (Peronospora destructor) is a common fungal disease in garlic chives, especially during cool, damp summers. You'll spot it by pale, oval patches on the leaves, later developing a grey-violet coating. To prevent it, water only in the morning, ensure good air circulation and remove affected leaves straight away. Spraying with horsetail tea strengthens the plant's defences.

Leek rust (Puccinia allii) shows up as orange pustules on the leaves, mainly in August and September during warm, humid weather. Cut back heavily affected leaves and don't put them on the compost. Horsetail tea also helps here as a preventive measure.

The onion fly (Delia antiqua) can become a problem, especially with young plants. A crop protection net placed right after sowing is the best defence. This is also why you shouldn't plant garlic chives directly next to other allium species – it only attracts the flies even more.