Chives are one of the most popular herbs in the garden. You can add extra them into many dishes to make them tastier and more delicious. So, they are preferred for use in cooking. They go beyond the space of the kitchen with a lot of other uses in the garden. And to know what those uses are, let keep reading the post today with us.
Attract bees and other pollinators, attract other beneficial insects, reduce the incidence of scab on apple trees, decorate your home…, these are their uses that not everyone knows. For these great benefits, if you do not already have some space for them on your property, you should grow them right now. Whether you have a large garden or just a corner on a sunny windowsill, chives are an excellent thing to grow. Check them out!
#1 Culinary Uses
Chives are usually used as a herb and can be utilized in a wide range of recipes. Chives are one of the fines herbes of French cuisine and are also commonly used in many other cuisines across their native range. Stems and leaves can be used as edible ties for bundles of herbs of vegetables. The flowers are also edible and can be used in salads or in several other ways.
#2 Attract Bees and Other Pollinators
Leave chives to flower, and they are excellent at attracting bees, butterflies, and other pollinators to your garden.
#3 Attract Other Beneficial Insects
Chives also attract other beneficial insects – insects that prey on pest species and can help to keep your crops safe. For example, they attract certain beneficial wasps, and ladybugs, that will prey on aphids and scale insects.
#4 Repel Pests
The onion-like smell of chives and other Alliums is said to repel many of the insect species that we don’t want around. Carrot flies, Japanese beetles, and aphids are all said to dislike the scent of these plants. The juice of the plant is also used on the skin as an insect repellent.
#5 Reduce the Incidence of Scab on Apple Trees (And other Diseases)
Chives planted close to an apple tree can reduce the incidence of scab. They can also be useful planted near rose bushes to reduce the incidence of scab and black spots on those plants. A chive tea made from boiling chopped chives in water can also be sprayed onto cucurbits, gooseberries, and other susceptible plants to help control downy and powdery mildew.
#6 As a Good Ground Cover Plant
Chives are an excellent companion plant, they can create a good ground cover, and fill in gaps in a planting scheme. As a ground cover plant, they can help keep weeds down, protect the soil, and reduce moisture loss from the soil in your growing areas.
#7 As a Dynamic Accumulator
Chives are a nutrient accumulator of potassium and calcium, two important nutrients for plants. By strewing chives leaves and stems around your other crops, they can serve to return these nutrients to the soil ecosystem, where they can be taken up by other plants.
#8 As an Ornamental Plant
Chives are also a very attractive plant that can find a place in an ornamental garden. They are decorative as well as functional and can enhance many a garden scheme.
#9 Decorate Your Home
The flowers are not only attractive in the garden. They can also be used fresh or dried for floral arrangements and displays inside your home.
#10 For Your Health
Chives also have a range of health benefits. They are high in minerals and vitamins, especially vitamins A and K. Like other alliums, they can help to regulate cholesterol levels, and lower blood pressure to keep your heart healthy. They have also been used to aid the digestive system.
