{"id":558,"date":"2025-08-03T01:10:40","date_gmt":"2025-08-03T01:10:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/survivalfoodplants.com.au\/?post_type=product&p=558"},"modified":"2025-08-04T02:48:42","modified_gmt":"2025-08-04T02:48:42","slug":"onion-chives","status":"publish","type":"product","link":"https:\/\/survivalfoodplants.com.au\/index.php\/product\/onion-chives\/","title":{"rendered":"Onion chives"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n

Botanical Name: <\/strong>Allium schoenoprasum<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

How to Grow It<\/b><\/h3>\r\n

Onion chives are clump-forming perennials<\/b> that reach about 30\u201350cm tall, with hollow, grass-like leaves and pretty purple pom-pom flowers in spring.<\/p>\r\n

They\u2019re naturally from Europe and Asia<\/b>, but now grow almost everywhere, thriving in temperate<\/b> and subtropical<\/b>climates and tolerating a fair bit of neglect.<\/p>\r\n

They like full sun<\/b> for best growth but will handle partial shade<\/b> (you\u2019ll just get slightly thinner leaves). Soil-wise, they\u2019re not picky \u2013 any well-drained soil<\/b> will do, though they love a bit of compost mixed in. Keep them evenly moist<\/b>, especially in the first year, but once they\u2019re established they can cope with short dry spells. They won\u2019t appreciate sitting in boggy soil for too long, though.<\/p>\r\n

Best planting season?<\/b> Spring or autumn is ideal, but honestly, you can plant them almost any time as long as you keep them watered while they settle in.<\/p>\r\n

Propagation<\/b> is dead simple \u2013 you can grow from seed, but the easiest way is to divide an established clump<\/b> every couple of years. Just dig up the root ball, split it into smaller chunks, and replant \u2013 instant new chive patches!

<\/p>\r\n

Herbal & Nutrient Value<\/b><\/h3>\r\n

Onion chives might be small, but they\u2019re packed with nutrients<\/b>. They\u2019re especially high in vitamin K<\/b> (great for bone health and blood clotting), vitamin C<\/b> (immune booster), and contain modest amounts of vitamin A<\/b>, folate, and minerals like calcium<\/b> and iron<\/b>.<\/p>\r\n

Traditionally, chives have been used as a mild digestive aid<\/b> and a gentle circulatory tonic<\/b>. They share some of the beneficial sulphur compounds found in onions and garlic \u2013 thought to have antimicrobial<\/b> and anti-inflammatory<\/b>properties.<\/p>\r\n

There are no serious toxicity concerns \u2013 they\u2019re safe to eat in normal amounts. (Your dog or cat shouldn\u2019t munch the whole plant, though, as large amounts of any allium can upset pets\u2019 stomachs.)<\/p>\r\n

Traditional & Home Remedies<\/strong><\/p>\r\n

Garlic Chive Tea – <\/strong>Leaves steeped in hot water; used as a mild digestive tonic.
Poultice for Bruises – <\/strong>Crushed leaves applied to bruises or insect bites (folk remedy).
Tonic Soup – <\/strong>Leaves simmered with ginger and chicken for postpartum recovery.

<\/p>\r\n

Using It in the Kitchen<\/b><\/h3>\r\n

Chives are one of those herbs you\u2019ll end up using almost daily once you grow them. The hollow green leaves<\/b> are snipped fresh and add a mild onion flavour<\/b> \u2013 like a whisper of onion rather than a shout. The flowers are edible too, with a delicate onion taste and a gorgeous purple colour that makes dishes look fancy.<\/p>\r\n

You can eat chives raw<\/b> (best for flavour), add them right at the end of cooking, dry them for winter use, or even freeze them (though they\u2019ll soften). Keep a pair of scissors handy and snip as you need \u2013 the plant will keep producing.<\/p>\r\n

Simple recipe ideas:

– Chive Butter \u2013 <\/b>Mash chopped chives into softened butter for a quick spread for bread, steak, or steamed veggies.
– Eggs & Chives \u2013 <\/b>Sprinkle fresh chives over scrambled eggs, omelettes, or poached eggs for instant flavour.
– Chive Vinegar \u2013 <\/b>Steep chive blossoms in white vinegar for a week \u2013 you\u2019ll get a pink, oniony vinegar for salads.
– Potato Topper \u2013 <\/b>Toss hot boiled potatoes with butter, salt, and a fistful of snipped chives \u2013 simple and perfect.
– Chive Pancakes \u2013 <\/b>Add chopped chives to savoury pancake batter or fritters for a light onion hit.<\/p>\r\n

Storage tip:<\/b> For longer keeping, chop and freeze in small containers \u2013 you can toss them straight into dishes from frozen.

<\/p>\r\n

Other Uses<\/b><\/h3>\r\n

Onion chives aren\u2019t just useful in the kitchen \u2013 they\u2019re a magnet for pollinators<\/b>. Bees love the flowers, which means better pollination for the rest of your garden. The strong smell can also help confuse pests<\/b> \u2013 many gardeners plant chives near carrots, tomatoes, or roses to deter aphids and mites.<\/p>\r\n

They\u2019re pretty enough for the flower bed<\/b> (those purple pom-poms are basically ornamental) and once planted, they\u2019ll keep clumping and spreading for years with almost no work.

<\/p>\r\n

Why it’s survival plant<\/h3>\r\n

Perennial<\/b> \u2013 plant once and harvest for years.
Nutrient-rich<\/b> \u2013 a fresh vitamin source all year.
Low-maintenance<\/b> \u2013 they survive neglect and bounce back.<\/p>\r\n

In short: if you\u2019ve got even a scrap of space, onion chives deserve a permanent spot.<\/p>\r\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Onion chives are the friendliest little flavour-boosters you can grow \u2013 think of them as the polite cousin of onions that doesn\u2019t make you cry. They\u2019re hardy, perennial, and keep coming back year after year, quietly providing fresh green shoots whenever you need them. In a survival garden, they earn their keep by being easy to grow, virtually maintenance-free, and endlessly useful in the kitchen.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":559,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"neve_meta_sidebar":"","neve_meta_container":"","neve_meta_enable_content_width":"off","neve_meta_content_width":100,"neve_meta_title_alignment":"","neve_meta_author_avatar":"","neve_post_elements_order":"","neve_meta_disable_header":"","neve_meta_disable_footer":"","neve_meta_disable_title":""},"product_brand":[],"product_cat":[38,40,41,42,43,45,46],"product_tag":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-558","1":"product","2":"type-product","3":"status-publish","4":"has-post-thumbnail","6":"product_cat-cooler-climate-plants","7":"product_cat-high-nutrition-plants","8":"product_cat-mulch-plants","9":"product_cat-pot-and-container-plants","10":"product_cat-salad-leaves","11":"product_cat-soups-and-curries","12":"product_cat-stir-fry-plants","14":"first","15":"instock","16":"shipping-taxable","17":"product-type-simple"},"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack-related-posts":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/survivalfoodplants.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/product\/558","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/survivalfoodplants.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/product"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/survivalfoodplants.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/product"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/survivalfoodplants.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=558"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/survivalfoodplants.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/559"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/survivalfoodplants.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=558"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"product_brand","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/survivalfoodplants.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/product_brand?post=558"},{"taxonomy":"product_cat","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/survivalfoodplants.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/product_cat?post=558"},{"taxonomy":"product_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/survivalfoodplants.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/product_tag?post=558"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}