Perennial table onion "Chives" and its varieties

Chives are one of the varieties of green onions that successfully combine a pleasant taste, rich vitamin composition and beautiful appearance. This onion is unpretentious, but there are still some nuances that need to be taken into account if you decide to grow it on your site.

What it is

Chives (Chives, Chivis, Skoroda, Sibulet) is a herbaceous plant that is grown as an annual or perennial crop. There are two varieties of Chivis - Siberian and Alpine, they differ in the size of the leaves and the degree of branching.

Origin and development

The homeland of chives is Asia, but the specific region where its taste and benefits were first appreciated is unknown.

The State Register of Russia includes 20 varieties of this onion.

Chemical composition and beneficial properties

Chives contain:

• zinc;
• manganese;
• iron;
• copper;
• selenium;
• phosphorus;
• potassium;
• magnesium;
• calcium;
• sodium;
• vitamins B1, B2, B4, B5, B6, B9, C, K, PP, A, E;
• beta-carotene;
• amino acids;
• phytoncides;
• mineral salts;
• nitrogenous elements;
• fats;
• fiber;
• Sahara.

This vegetable increases appetite, has a positive effect on the secretory activity of the intestines, the functioning of the kidneys, gall bladder and cardiovascular system. Chives are an effective means of preventing colds and infectious diseases; it is useful to use for progressive atherosclerosis and as an anthelmintic.

Ripening time and yield

The ripening period and yield of Chivis depend on the variety. The table shows data on the most popular varieties.

Disease resistance

With proper care, Sibulet is resistant to diseases and pests, but if agricultural practices are violated, onions can be affected by:

• onion thrips;
• rust;
• powdery mildew.

Characteristics of the bulb, description of appearance, taste

The underground part of Rezants is represented by 15-20 small oblong-shaped bulbs, colored brown-white or purple-red and attached to a short rhizome. The plant has a branched, thread-like root system that is renewed every summer.

On a false stem up to 10 cm high there are 4-6 tubular or subulate leaves of a dark green color, 25-45 cm high and 5-8 mm in diameter.

Reference. In 3-4 years, chives form a bush 50-60 cm high, consisting of 40-100 stems with leaves and apical inflorescences.

Onions bloom from May to August, starting from the second year after planting. The inflorescences are semicircular in shape and consist of small umbrella-shaped flowers of various shades - from white to lilac and pale purple.

After flowering, the plant produces a fruit-box containing small seeds. The seeds reach full maturity by the end of July-beginning of August, becoming black in color.

The leaves and bulbs are not bitter and taste similar to onions, but with a more delicate aroma.

For which regions is it best suited and what are the climate requirements?

Chives prefer a temperate or continental climate.In Russia it grows in the North Caucasus, Western and Eastern Siberia, Kamchatka, Primorsky and Khabarovsk Territories, and in the European part of the country.

Main advantages and disadvantages

Pros of Skoroda:

• frost resistance;
• abundant yield;
• ease of care;
• pleasant taste;
• Possibility of use for decorative purposes.

Disadvantages of the culture - a tendency to disease with improper care and a short lifespan storage greenery

What is the difference from other varieties

Characteristics that distinguish chives from other representatives of the Onion family:

• high yield of greens;
• much earlier vegetation than that of onions;
• rapid growth of green mass;
• spectacular flowering;
• lack of traditional onion.

Features of planting and growing

Compared to onions, Rezant seeds are smaller and have poor germination, so before sowing it is especially important to prepare the planting material and soil and choose the right planting time.

Preparing for landing

The seed is soaked in warm water for a day, then laid out on a paper napkin or cloth and dried. This procedure helps to reject low-quality seeds that float to the surface and increase their germination rate.

Reference. When winter planting the seeds are not soaked, because they need to be sown completely dry.

The site is prepared in advance: in the case of spring sowing - in the fall, when planting before winter - in the summer. To do this, dig up the ground, remove plant debris and weeds.

Add lime to acidic soil; add one bucket of humus or 0.5 liters of compost per 1 m² to all other types of soil. The soil is also fertilized with superphosphate and urea (1 tbsp per 1 m²).

In the spring, 2-3 days before sowing the seeds, ammonium nitrate or urea (15-20 g per 1 m²) is added to the soil.

Soil requirements

Chives grow well in nutritious, loose, well-drained soil. You should not plant it in sandy soil, as it does not retain moisture well. The most suitable option is wet sandstone or loam enriched with lime.

Dates, scheme and rules of planting

Seeds are sown in open ground in the spring (late April or first half of May) or before winter (late September-early October). The division of the bush is carried out at the end of March, April or September.

Seed sowing algorithm:

1. Prepare the beds and make furrows 1-1.5 cm deep every 20 cm.
2. Water the furrows with warm water with the addition of complex fertilizers.
3. Place planting material in them.
4. Sprinkle the seeds with soil and compact it a little.
5. Mulch the beds with sawdust or straw.

After 7-14 days, the first shoots will appear; they are thinned out so that the distance between plants is 10 cm.

Reference. Chives are rarely grown from seeds because they are difficult to harvest yourself. Most often, bushes are divided.

Instructions for dividing the bush:

1. Carefully dig up the plant.
2. Slightly shorten the roots and divide them into several parts so that each has at least 8-10 false bulbs with roots.
3. In a prepared bed with a row spacing of 45 cm, dig holes 4-5 cm deep every 25 cm.
4. Water the planting holes generously with water.
5. Place parts of the bush in them, deepening them by 3.5-4 cm.
6. Sprinkle the plants with soil, compact it slightly, and water generously.

Features of cultivation

The place for planting onions should be in partial shade - under the influence of direct sunlight, the greens quickly become coarser and lose their juiciness. It is better to plant the crop on a hill, because in the lowlands there is a risk of stagnation of moisture and excessive wetting of the roots.

The best predecessors and neighbors of Skoroda are tomatoes, cucumbers, radishes, potatoes, carrots, and herbs. This onion should not be planted after legumes, beets, and cabbage.

You can grow chives in the same place for no longer than 4-5 years - then the roots grow too much, which negatively affects the yield and quality of the greens.

Nuances of care

Sibulet is not demanding in care. Knowing the nuances of watering, loosening and fertilizing, even a novice gardener can get a good harvest.

Watering mode

Water the onions generously approximately every 1-2 days, focusing on the condition of the soil - it is important that the soil is always well moistened, otherwise the greens become coarse and tasteless. But waterlogging and waterlogging should not be allowed.

For irrigation use clean, settled water without chlorine.

Reference. To retain moisture, cover the soil with a layer of fine mulch.

Loosening the soil and weeding

The soil between the rows is loosened at least 8-10 times per season to prevent the formation of a dense dry crust on the soil surface. Weeding is carried out regularly, because weeds, especially in the first year of growing onions, stifle its growth and take moisture and nutrients from the soil.

Top dressing

Fertilizers are applied starting from the second year of growing the crop, after each cutting of leaves.

Feeding options:

• ash - at the rate of 1 glass per 1 m²;
• rotted manure - 1 kg of manure per 15 liters of water;
• bird droppings solution – 1 kg per 20 liters of water;
• complex mineral fertilizers – “Nitrofoska”, “Ammofoska”, “Kemira”.

If onions grow in fertile soil and quickly grow green mass, use only organic fertilizers or do not feed the onions at all.

Disease and pest control

If improperly cared for, Sibulet can be affected by such diseases and pests:

• onion thrips - the affected bushes are dug up and heated in hot (+50°C) water, then dried in the sun and planted again in the ground;
• rust and powdery mildew are diseases that cannot be treated, so infected bushes are dug up and burned, and the beds are treated with Topaz, Fundazol, Fitosporin or Vitaros fungicides.

Harvest and storage

Chives are usually grown for their juicy, spicy greens. A special advantage of this onion is the ability to cut it several times per season.

How and when to collect

The first cutting of greenery is carried out in May, when the leaves grow to 20-25 cm in height, the second - when they grow again to 25 cm, the third - around the end of September, so that the onions have time to get stronger before the onset of cold weather.

Storage features and keeping quality of the variety

Skoroda greens can be stored in the refrigerator or cool room for no more than two weeks. To increase shelf life, it is frozen, salted, dried or pickled.

What difficulties may there be when growing

The main problems that may arise when cultivating chives:

• Dark brown spots appear on the leaves - this is probably rust, which occurs when overwatering or using cold water;
• A sticky white coating forms on the leaves, they curl and wither - a sign of powdery mildew that has developed due to dense plantings and improper watering.

Advice from experienced gardeners

Experienced farmers recommend doing the following to harvest a good harvest:

1. To scare away pests spray the plantings with a solution of tobacco and liquid soap.
2. Use self-collected seeds within two years.
3. In the first year after planting, do not cut the greens at all or make a maximum of two cuts, otherwise the plant will weaken.

Reviews of chives

Many gardeners grow chives to obtain fresh greens in the summer and leave only positive reviews about the different varieties.

Vera, Khabarovsk: «We bought a house 10 years ago, and this onion grew there by itself along the road. The soil there is bad - all sand, so the bushes were inconspicuous. But I liked the way they bloom, so I dug up a few and planted them on the site. For several years it delighted me with its flowering, and then I found out that it is also edible and very tasty. Now we have a small chives plantation, we really like it, the main thing is to water it regularly.”

Olga, Krasnodar region: “I have been growing chives for a long time, as they grow in the photo on the Internet, with beautiful flowers. Of course, it’s delicious, but that’s not why I plant it. For me, its main value is the smell, which repels pests from onions.”

Conclusion

Chives are a rather unusual onion, which is loved by many summer residents not so much because of its taste, but because of its decorative appearance. This is an unpretentious crop and if you follow the care recommendations, you can not only easily get a rich harvest of tasty and healthy greens, but also decorate your plot.