Comune

Class

Monocotyledons

Division

Angiospermae

Family

Liliaceae

Order

Asparagales

Genus

Allium

Species

schoenoprasum

Description

A perennial aromatic bulbous plant, used in agribusiness as well as for phytotherapeutic and medicinal purposes due to its typically erect, cylindrical and hollow leaves with an intense but milder flavour than the other species belonging to the Allium genus ; the flowers, too, united in umbrella-shaped inflorescences carried at the top of the herbaceous stems, are often edible depending on the variety as well as being attractive to insects such as bees and bumblebees, of primary importance for pollination in your vegetable garden. Easy to manage, it does not require special care, adapting to different types of exposure and soil types as long as they are well drained.

Variety description

It is a plant that is easy to cultivate and has low requirements in terms of both cultivation care and specifically fertilisation. Pay attention to the pedological characteristics of the soil, in particular ensuring that it is drained. If cultivated correctly, the plant allows a good production of leaves (i.e. the edible part); these lend themselves to various culinary uses thanks to their particularly intense and aromatic flavour. With reference to flowering, this occurs in the summer period and is characterised by several very showy umbrella-like inflorescences.

Curiosities and special features

Cultivated since the Middle Ages, it is widely used in gastronomy where its leaves are used, usually fresh, in a variety of ways such as flavouring butter, cheeses and sauces, adding flavour to salads and soups and binding crepes or other dumpling-shaped dishes; they are also rich in calcium, iron, magnesium, vitamin A and vitamin C.

The name of the genus, Allium, refers to the edible bulbs while the epithet schoenoprasum derives from the Greek words schoenos i.e. rush and prasos i.e. leek because their leaves are similar to those of rushes while their taste is reminiscent of leeks.

Origin and distribution

Native to the cold temperate areas of Asia and north-central Europe where it was cultivated since the Middle Ages for culinary and medicinal purposes, in the 1500s chives became popular in European gardens first as a food plant and later also as a herbal remedy. Today it is cultivated in a wide geographical area including Northern Europe, China, Japan, North America, Iran and India.

Flower size

The flower, grouped in an inflorescence, is singularly small.

Leaf

The leaf has the characteristic leaf blade shape.

Fruit

The leaf contains no seeds and has a weight of G with a tender texture. It is available for harvest throughout the year. The taste is fresh, with a strong and intense aroma that characterises the sensory profile. The flavour is herbaceous, aromatic, intense and spicy, while the leaf is fragrant. The colouring is homogeneous over the whole surface. The skin is not edible. This variety is characterised by good organoleptic characteristics and has an overall good quality.

Flowering period

It flowers from early summer to late summer for a duration of 30 to 50 days.

Inflorescence

Inflorescence umbrella.

Leaf colour

Unicolour colour shade.

Plant height

The height of the plant varies from 0.15 to 0.5 m, also suitable for tubs and pots.

Lifespan

Perennial life cycle, during the winter period it goes into vegetative rest.

Where to plant

Can be grown in different outdoor spaces as a horticultural plant in flower beds, balconies, large pots, open field, terraces, outdoor tubs

Stem

The stem is herbaceous with an inflorescence at the top; the variety has no thorns.

Flower

The flower is simple in form, small in size, with a dialipetal corolla and single-coloured petals. It is arranged in umbrella-like inflorescences of medium size. It flowers from early summer to late summer, with a flowering period of between 30 and 50 days. It is attractive to bees and bumblebees.

Growth

The plant shows medium to vigorous growth.

Plant habit

The bearing is typically erect.

Branching

Branching is abundant and dense.

PH

The ideal pH of the soil or substrate ranges from slightly acidic to neutral, between 6.0 and 7.5.

Soil preparation

Before planting in spring, it is advisable to lightly dig up the soil, removing weeds and any residues of previous crops, stones or pebbles, and then bury organic fertiliser, which will provide the necessary nutrients in the early stages of development, then break up the clods and finally level the surface of the soil. These measures will allow a rapid resumption of root development after transplanting.

Sun exposure

Suitable for exposure in half shade, full sun, afternoon sun, sheltered from the wind; prefer sunny locations if possible.

Ideal climate and temperature

The ideal temperature is between 15 and 21 °C during the vegetative period; it tolerates low temperatures well.

Use

The intensely flavoured foliage gives the plant a wide versatility of use as a crop:

Agribusiness Officinal / phytotherapeutic Aromatic

Hardiness

Medium hardiness, it does not require any special cultivation care and tolerates different types of soil as long as it is well drained; it is also resistant to low temperatures.

Soil

It adapts to different soil conditions, preferring soils of medium texture, with organic matter and moist but above all well draining, the latter being a property of primary importance for proper vegetative growth. For use in pots or tubs, use a horticultural soil containing blond peat and brown peat.

Difficulty

The easy cultivation adds value to the plant, which requires an overall low level of management effort.

Growing tips

The following cultivation guidelines will allow the best growth performance in both open field and pots:

Balanced fertilisation Avoid over-watering

Intercropping/combination

Crop intercropping with carrots is recommended.

Planting

For use in flower beds or open fields, an average planting density of 11 plants per square metre is recommended to allow for proper vegetative development of each specimen. Place each plant with vegetative apex above the soil surface, ensuring that the roots are intact and white before transplanting.

Read more on the Joyflo blog

Pruning

Remove any yellow or old leaves by making a clean, precise cut with clean blades.

Prune to the desired height and water afterwards to encourage the plant to grow back.

Propagation

Reproduction can be done by spring sowing by completely burying the seed and covering it with a layer of substrate and inert material; alternatively, it can be done by bulbing or dividing the heads of adult plants.

Repotting

Repotting should be carried out in spring in larger containers using a suitable potting soil if the plant shows stunted growth with roots that are not properly developed and completely enveloping the substrate.

Watering

Use rainwater, alternatively from aqueducts or canals with an optimal sub-acid pH, either manually or by sprinkler, drip-wing or sub-irrigation irrigation. During the transplanting phase, assist the seedling to adapt properly to its new site by ensuring constant humidity but without overdoing the water intake. Care should then be taken to allow the soil to dry slightly between one watering and the next, keeping it moist but free of waterlogging; it is also advisable not to water the aerial part during the afternoon/evening. If the plant is particularly exposed to the sun, increase the water supply. After harvesting the leaves it is advisable to intervene with irrigation to stimulate and encourage the plant's regrowth, in this way it will be possible to carry out up to 9 mowings in total.

Read more on the Joyflo blog

Fertilising

In the pre-transplant soil preparation phase, use an organo-mineral fertiliser to perform a background fertilisation, useful for ensuring the nutrients the seedling needs in the very early stages of growth.

During the growing cycle, apply specific water-soluble fertiliser for horticulture, to be diluted in the irrigation water according to the plant's demand, increasing the frequency during the summer period.

Read more on the Joyflo blog

Edibility for humans

Edible leaves, in some varieties flowers and bulbs are also edible.

Tip

In order to have a good leaf size in the early stages of growth, it is necessary to wait at least three months.