Cultivate chives on the balcony

Location and substrate

Chives feel very well in the pot, provided that it is big enough. If you buy a small herb pot at the grocery store, plant it in a larger pot as soon as possible with fresh substrate a. Chives need loose and nutrient-rich soil, so a commercial universal soil or balcony plant soil is completely sufficient - these are usually already pre-fertilized. However, if possible, the plant should stand alone in a pot - therefore a culture in a balcony box together with other plants is not very suitable. Chives need a partially shaded to sunny - but not full sun! - Location.

care

Pot chives must be watered and fertilized regularly. Keep the substrate evenly moist, but avoid waterlogging. The earth must not dry out. However, too much moisture not only leads to waterlogging, but also often results in a heavy infestation with sciarid gnats. The latter can be avoided if you add about an inch of sand to the top of the pot. Chives can easily be watered with tap water.

Fertilize During the vegetation phase, you can treat the plant with a liquid herbal or liquid about every four weeks Vegetable fertilizer,(€ 14.99 at Amazon *) which is added to the irrigation water.

In principle, you can harvest chives all year round as long as they are not in bloom. A flowering can be prevented by regularly cutting back the stalks - chives sprout again very quickly. Cut the stalks about two to three inches above the ground. Use only healthy and green shoots. By the way, both the flowers and the buds of the chives are edible - give it a try!

Hibernate chives on the balcony

Chives are one of the hardy herbs and can therefore be used without any problems hibernate on the balcony. In late autumn, cut the stalks down to approx. two centimeters and cover the pot with fir branches or with some sticks. The pot itself can be wrapped with warming fleece to protect against frost. If, on the other hand, you want to continue harvesting in winter, bring the pot in and place it on the windowsill.

Tips & Tricks

Wilted looking resp. leaves turning yellow are usually an indication that the plant is too dry. In some cases, however, waterlogging - and thus root rot - can also be the cause.

IJA