To combine business with pleasure, you can grow chives on your site. Culture will allow you to get a taste of green feathers with healing properties, and during flowering will become a real decoration of the garden. This onion is unpretentious in leaving and can please the gardener for many years.
Chives are often used in landscaping
Chives are used to make salads and marinades
Chives are unpretentious in leaving
Onion description
Skoroda, chisel, sibulet, winter bush, restaurant - and this is not a complete list of names for chives. It is also called Siberian, as it is often found beyond the Urals.
From German, chives are translated as “cut” onions. Regardless of the name, this is a perennial herbaceous plant of the Onion family, which has been cultivated since the 16th century as a healing and ornamental plant. This onion is consumed relatively recently. Its characteristics can be found below:
Parameter | Description |
Distribution area | In nature, chives are found in the north of China and Mongolia. The plant grows in river valleys and in well-moistened meadows, where extreme frosts rarely occur. On a large scale, the culture is grown in Indochina, Europe and North America. In Russia, this onion is more common in the Far East, northern regions and Western Siberia. |
Bloom | It begins in May and continues throughout the summer. Spherical inflorescences appear on the arrows. They consist of a large number of umbrellas with seeds inside. They can have any color of purple, lilac and pink. |
Plant characteristics | The onion bushes of the pan are used to decorate the garden, as they look very aesthetically pleasing and have the following structure:
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Bulb characteristics | The underground part of a perennial plant acts as small false bulbs. They have an ovoid shape, which can be conical or oblong. Such fruits are colored purple-red (brown-white in some varieties), covered with brown paper-like shells and end with short rhizomes. The composition of these bulbs includes a large number of amino acids, phytoncides, mineral salts and vitamins (C, A, PP, B1 and B2). Their nutritional value is as follows:
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Seed material | In August, after flowering, a large number of small seeds are formed in the umbrellas, which later turn black. In the next season they can be used as seed. A flower arrow is formed from each bulb in the second year after planting. In perennial plants, they appear annually. |
Application | Onions taste good, therefore, are actively used in cooking for the preparation of salads and marinades. They are especially indicated for cardiovascular pathologies, colds, spring vitamin deficiency and atherosclerosis. In addition, the vegetable positively affects the functioning of the kidneys, liver and gall bladder. Fresh leaf juice will help reduce the unpleasant symptoms of hemorrhoids. Ornamental plant is also used in landscaping to green garden plots. In addition, this onion will scare onion and carrot flies, inhibits the vital activity of fungal spores, which pose a threat to roses, fruit trees and gooseberries. With their flowering bushes will attract the shoulders that collect nectar from its sweet umbrellas. |
Varieties of Onions
There are two subspecies of chives:
- Alpine (Russian). It has a more intense formation of stems. Its bushes are covered with a large number of delicate leaves, which, after cutting, immediately begin to grow.
- Siberian. Unlike the previous subspecies, it forms larger and coarser leaves. Bushes branch a little weaker.
Both varieties of onions have good frost resistance, however, Siberian culture shows great resistance to low temperatures.
During the growing season, the leaves of an adult onion can withstand a temperature drop of -8 ... -6 ° C, and young seedlings can withstand -4 ... -2 ° C.
Popular varieties
About 20 varieties of chives are added to the State Register of Breeding Achievements. The most popular among them are:
- Bohemia. Cultivating a variety in the same place is allowed for 4 years. The first leaves can be cut 3 weeks after the start of the growing season. They have a pleasant peninsular taste. The yield of Bohemia is high - up to 200 g of greenery from the bush. The variety is resistant to disease.
- Spring. Leaves can be cut a month after the start of their growth. Bushes will turn out high and powerful. The leaves themselves are erect and covered with a thin waxy coating. They have a pleasant mild taste. Productivity of winter-hardy variety for 3-4 cuts - 6 kg per 1 sq. Km. m
- Honey plant. The leaves are suitable for mass collection 3 months after the start of their regrowth. Moreover, throughout the summer, you can selectively cut them. The taste of dark green leaves with a waxy coating is semi-sharp. Medonos's disadvantage is its high susceptibility to peronosporosis.
- Crocus. Early ripening variety - the first cut of leaves can be made 2 weeks after the start of leaf growth. They acquire a dark green color and are covered with a waxy coating. The variety does not differ in special productivity, which, moreover, sharply decreases after 3-4 years. Crocus shows resistance to spring frosts.
- Parisian. Tasteful variety with early ripening. Brings long dark green leaves that can be added to salads and marinades.
- Chemal. A fairly compact chives, the leaves of which reach up to 40 cm in length. Their taste is sharp. The disadvantage of the variety is the frequent infection with powdery mildew. Productivity is high - up to 7 kg per 1 sq. Km. m. From one bush you can collect leaves with a total weight of up to 600 g.
Methods and terms of landing
This herbaceous plant in the gardens can be grown as a perennial culture, and planted again every 1-2 years. There are two ways to cultivate it:
- Through direct sowing of seeds into the ground. A more popular technology that has been used in growing onions in the garden for several years. Seeds can be sown immediately in unprotected soil.
- Through seedlings. More labor-intensive technology, which allows you to get an early spring harvest of succulent leaves in the first year. Seedlings need to be prepared about 25-30 days before planting in the ground, so that by the time of transplanting to a permanent place, the seedlings acquire leaflets high about 10 cm.
Regardless of the cultivation method, chives can be grown both in spring and in winter. In the first case, planting operations must be carried out after complete snow melting, that is, approximately from the first half of March to the end of April. With winter planting, sowing can be done from late September to early October.
Preparatory Activities
Before planting, you need to properly prepare both soil and planting material. How to do this, we will deal sequentially.
Soil preparation
Chives are unpretentious to their predecessors, so it can be planted after almost any crop. It is advisable to place carrots near it, since these crops repel mutually dangerous pests.
The site itself should be moderately lit. It must not be allowed to overheat by sunlight, otherwise the leaves will grow too coarse.
As for the soil, onions like loose and well-drained soils. The best option is moist and lime-rich sandy loam or loamy soils. It is not necessary to cultivate the plant in areas with sandy soil, as it poorly retains moisture and is detrimental to this crop.
The marked place on the site must be prepared in advance: during spring sowing - in the fall, with winter planting - in the summer. The following steps are required:
- Dig a patch and remove the rhizomes of all weeds. These activities should be taken with all seriousness, since the onion sibulet is often planted for many years.
- Lime acidic soils. Add sand to heavy clay soils, and 1 bucket of humus or 0.5 l of compost per 1 sq. M to all the rest. Of mineral fertilizers, it is worth making 1 tbsp. l superphosphate and urea per 1 sq. km. m
- In the spring, a few days before planting, feed the site with ammonium nitrate or urea (15-20 g per 1 sq. M). Further, the beds remain abundantly watered at the rate of 2-3 liters of water per 1 square. m and start sowing activities.
Planting Material Processing
Self-harvested or purchased seeds must be pre-sowed. It is as follows:
- Pour seeds with warm water and soak throughout the day.
- Change the water regularly during soaking. This can be done 3-4 times.
- Get the seeds, put them on a paper towel or any tissue and dry.
Ready seeds can be sown immediately into the ground. After such processing, they will rise much faster.
During winter planting, it is advisable not to soak the seeds, since they need to be lowered into the ground in a completely dry form.
Chives
When all the preparatory measures have been carried out, you can start planting the crop using a pre-selected technology. We consider each option separately.
Direct sowing of seeds in the ground
In dug up and loosened soil, you need to sow the seeds, adhering to this scheme:
- the width between the rows is 15 cm;
- the distance between the holes is 5 cm;
- embedment depth - 1-2 cm.
If the main crop is planned to be harvested in the second year, and planting is eliminated, the seeds can be sown more freely, keeping about 30 cm between rows. Seeds should be sown in strips often, since they have low germination.
After sowing, the grooves should be sprinkled with soil and slightly compacted. Immediately before frost, the crop should be mulched using one of the following materials:
- sawdust;
- old newspaper;
- foliage;
- wood rotten;
- lapnik and rags.
With winter sowing, the mulch needs to be raked in the spring, immediately after the snow has melted, so that the seeds can sprout.
When sowing chives, the seeds in the first year, it is advisable not to touch it, so that by the next season it will grow stronger and bring a good harvest.
Seedling method
This technology, first of all, involves the cultivation of strong seedlings in early March. The step-by-step instruction is as follows:
- Preparation of the container and substrate. Prepare a spacious box with a depth of about 20 cm and fill it with a nutritious mixture of sand, humus and sod ash. On top you need to leave 3-4 cm of free space. Carefully level the soil, lightly tamp with the palm of your hand and pour plenty of water from the watering can.
- Sowing. Seeds prepared in the usual way or soaked in a solution of a growth promoter (e.g. Epine) should be sown to a depth of 1.5 cm in increments of 2-2.5 cm. Then, lightly sprinkle them with a substrate, spray from a spray bottle and cover with glass or film.
- Creating an optimal microclimate. When the first shoots appear on day 6-8, remove the covering material, rearrange the seedlings on the windowsill from the sunny side and keep at a temperature of no higher than + 18 ° and humidity not less than 70%. Make drainage holes in the drawer as necessary. With a short (up to 12 hours) daylight, organize additional illumination.
- Watering. Water the seedlings moderately as a dry crust appears on the surface of the substrate. Water should be warm.
- Thinning. In the phase of one real leaf, you need to thin out the planting, but it is best to sow the seeds more rarely.
At the age of 50-60 days, seedlings with 2 real leaves need to be transplanted into the open ground, adhering to the following scheme:
- the width between the rows is 35-40 cm;
- the distance between the seedlings in a row is 20-25 cm.
If the plant will grow actively, in the first year you can spend 1-2 cuts. From 2 years, onions will begin to bloom and the cutting frequency can be increased up to 3-4 times per season.
Chives can be grown on the balcony. For this, seedlings do not need to be transplanted into the ground. If you feed the seedling 1-2 times a month with a solution of any complex fertilizer, already 2 months after the appearance of the first seedlings, you can start cutting the leaves.
Landing care
The onion of speed refers to unpretentious crops, but requires timely conduct of basic agricultural activities.
Watering
The plant needs systematic abundant watering, although it can withstand short-term drying of the soil. It should be watered "to the full", but at the same time to prevent waterlogging. Use should be made of distilled water with no chlorine.
If you are late for watering, then the onion leaves will turn out rough and lose their taste. In such a situation, you will have to cut part of the crop, water the remaining garden bed abundantly, and then feed and water again.
Loosening and weeding
With long-term cultivation, these manipulations will need to be carried out only for 1-2 years. In the future, the plant grows, forms a dense turf and begins to independently control weeds. In order to prevent pests after irrigation, the earth still needs to be slightly loosened and weed, destroying all weeds.
Thinning
As soon as 1-2 real leaflets are formed on the seedlings, they need to be thinned, leaving 8-10 cm in the row between the plants. During the second thinning, when the bushes to be removed can already be replanted, the distance should be increased to 15-20 cm.
If you plan to leave the onions in the same place from 3 to 5 years, 25-30 cm should be left between the bushes. In this case, the distance between the rows can also be increased to 40-50 cm
Top dressing
In the first season there is no need to feed the culture. When the first cut is carried out, the onion can be fed with such fertilizers:
- mullein infusion (1:10);
- solution of bird droppings (1:10);
- wood ash (glass per 1 sq. m).
It is advisable to carry out such dressing after each cut. After such manipulations, you need to thoroughly wash the plant with clean water.
In the absence of organics, nitrofosk or azofoska at the rate of 40-100 g per 1 sq. The second top dressing with mineral fertilizers can be made only after 2-3 cuts.
Feeding can be abandoned if the greenery grows at an active pace every year.
Protection against diseases and pests
Compliance with competent agricultural technology will protect the plant from disease. In the worst case, they may be affected:
- Downy mildew (peronosporosis). It affects all parts of the plant, leaving behind large gray spots on which garden dust is actively accumulating.The leaves dry quickly, and then the whole plant dies. At the first sign of illness, the plant must be sprayed with a 1% solution of Bordeaux liquid with the addition of 50 g of liquid soap in a bucket of water.
- Rust. Irregular yellow-orange spots form on the plant. Soon it weakens and stops growing. In the fight against rust, affected specimens must be treated with Topaz or Falcon.
If any signs of lesions appear on the onion, immediately cut off the damaged areas and burn them. It is advisable to pour the soil itself with 5% sodium chloride, and then with clean water. In the worst case, a complete disinfection is required with the transfer of bushes to a new place.
As for pests, to repel them, you need to spray plantings with a solution of tobacco with liquid soap. You can also arrange creosote-soaked materials along the beds.
Reproduction of chives by dividing
In favorable conditions, the onion soon grows and completely covers the soil. As a result, crop yields are reduced, and feathers grow worse in older bushes. In addition, they quickly wither and acquire an unpleasant taste. To correct this situation, the culture needs to be transplanted, dividing the bushes into several parts.
It is best to divide the plant at the age of 2-4 years, because it is strong and when breaking the uterine bush, you can get many daughter parts. This manipulation is best done in the spring (no later than the leaves begin to grow actively) or at the very beginning of autumn. Reproduction in this order:
- Water the bed abundantly.
- Undermine the plant with a shovel or pitchfork and completely remove it from the ground.
- Trim leaves and roots from a dug bush to a length of 12-15 and 5-7 cm, respectively.
- Break the bush with your hands or with a knife into several parts, leaving at least 8-10 bulbs on each.
- The resulting fragments immediately land on a new place, adhering to the usual landing pattern. The optimal distance between them is 30 cm.
- Water the new landing abundantly, and in cold weather or in anticipation of frost mulch with peat or humus.
Transplanted plants will quickly produce new sprouts.
Cutting greens and storing them
From the second year of cultivation, you can start cutting greens. Depending on personal needs, you can cut a few feathers or almost the entire aerial part. During the season, you can perform from 2 to 4 full leaf cuts, reaching a height of 25-40 cm.
The last harvest should be carried out no later than mid-August, so that before the onset of cold weather the plant could accumulate the required amount of nutrients.
If you do not plan to collect seeds, then arrows at a young age can also be eaten along with leaves. When harvesting on the bush, it is worth leaving short feathers. During the flowering period, the onion feathers become too stiff and not tasty, so when growing it for food, it is advisable to immediately remove the inflorescences.
You can store the collected greens for up to 2 weeks. To extend this period, it must be laid in plastic containers or bags and put in storage in the freezer. Feathers can also be dried.
Landscape design
Chives can be grown exclusively as an ornamental plant, planting it with a stripe in a discount or a border along the flower garden. If you divide one adult bush, you can get a border up to 2 m long. It will turn green literally 7 days after planting, and if you regularly cut it, you can maintain the brightness of the greenery in the border.
The plant not only decorates the garden, but also attracts insects useful for the garden - bees, bumblebees and butterflies.
You can combine this culture with low colors. These include:
- daisies;
- viola;
- primrose.
If during the flowering period the leaves of chives are beginning to turn yellow, the bushes should be completely cut to a height of no more than 5 cm. Young feathers will appear in 5 days, and the plant will quickly return to its attractive appearance.
Chives are a vegetable and ornamental plant that can decorate a garden plot, and cut juicy, sweet-sharp and very fragrant green feathers in early spring. Despite such multifunctionality, this plant does not require special care and is able to grow in one place for many years.