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Gardening adventures in a small space
Growing Herbs on the Balcony
- Perennial
- Prefers full sun but will tolerate partial shade
- Enjoys moist growing conditions
- Grows 12-18 inches tall
- Can be started from seed or transplant
I grow onion chives, not the flat leaf or garlic chives which taste like garlic and are common in Asian cooking. My chives were started indoors from seed but they can be propagated by up uprooting a clump and dividing them. They are perennials that take a while to establish themselves but once they do, they thrive. The are the smallest family of the onion family and actually form small bulbs similar to green onions. They shoot up small round pink flowers late in the season.
I like to put finely chopped chives in egg dishes which is probably the most common use for them. They're a very mild substitute for onions - too mild I find. To harvest, you just snip off however many leaves you need about an inch or two from the soil surface. New leaves will grow back quite quickly.
I've never tried to over-winter chives on the balcony and it might be more trouble than it's worth. Apparently they need a dormancy period before they'll regrow in the spring and I suspect they wouldn't survive a winter on the balcony. No matter though. it's not much trouble to just toss some seeds in a pot and start again next year.
- Return to the Herbs List
- Continue with Coriander
- Back to Chervil
