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Post by Joseph Lofthouse on May 29, 2013 22:25:30 GMT -5
A few years ago I grew chives from seed. It seems like they were a non-improved variety with lots of genetic diversity. There were robust plants, and delicate plants. There were plants that grew upright, and plants that grew sprawling. Plants that divided a lot, and plants that divided less. And everything in-between. In other words, they were a nice genetically diverse population that is just begging to have a breeding project conducted on them. When I was harvesting chives for the farmer's market last week I found the perfect breeding project. I noticed that some plants were flowering already, while other plants hadn't. I dislike pulling the hard flower stems out of a bunch of chives when preparing them for a meal. Because there was variation in flowering times in my population, I wrapped a ribbon around the non-flowering clumps. I'm intending to select for "non-bolting" chives.  |
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Post by steev on May 30, 2013 0:57:45 GMT -5
Couldn't say, but I think I've read that the flowers are tasty, but maybe only good for flavoring vinegar or oil.
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Post by richardw on May 30, 2013 1:06:44 GMT -5
Should be a interesting project,so are you looking for plants that flower two years from seed grown?
I grow garlic chives for seed but i didn't realize just how different they are to the flowers in your photo
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Post by Joseph Lofthouse on May 30, 2013 1:27:34 GMT -5
I haven't paid attention to whether or not seed grown chives flower the first year. I am harvesting the greens from perennial clumps, which I divide every few years. I'd feel content if flowering was postponed by 3 weeks or so. That would allow a longer season.
My garlic chives are blooming today. I'd forgotten that I planted them into the permaculture garden, so when they flowered that splendid white flower, I had to taste them just to be sure. I planted them, then I dug up the spot where I planted them in order to put a morel bed in, so they ended up randomly scattered throughout the morel bed.
I'll try eating some chive flowers.
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Post by rowan on May 30, 2013 2:01:41 GMT -5
You grow morels in a bed? I read that they are difficult to grow so I harvest mine from the wild. Could you post on how you grow them in a bed please as I would love to have a go at that.
Edited to add: Ok now I have done some Googling and will learn how to grow them for myself in the garden.
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Post by Joseph Lofthouse on May 30, 2013 3:41:51 GMT -5
I attempt to grow morels in a bed. Technique is to bury wood and ashes in a shady spot with chopped up morels or spawn. The weather hasn't cooperated this spring. Last spring my total harvest from the bed was one fruit:  Also in the permaculture garden, next to the morel bed, I have a row of garlic that is starting to flower. I likewise don't have the slightest idea what it is, or where it came from... |
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Post by richardw on May 30, 2013 4:15:57 GMT -5
My garlic chives are blooming today. Wow  that is so different to mine,ok so its late spring/early summer for you blokes and yours is flowering,mine dont start to flower till late summer,its always the last seed for me to pick.i wonder way the difference??different strain ??,can i send ya some of my seed to see if it flowers at the same time as your? |
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Post by Joseph Lofthouse on May 30, 2013 11:35:28 GMT -5
I haven't planted out the peppers yet, so late spring would be about right. Oops... Hold on while I take a closer look... I have 5 different plantings that I have been calling garlic chives. I can only examine 4 of them today, but there are at least two species represented. They taste more like leeks than garlic. | Species 1 | Species 2 | | Currently flowering or just finished. Flower indistinguishable from Allium tuberosum. | Not flowering | | Plants senescing. | Plants expected to grow until hard frost. | | Succulent leaves with little or no midrib. Less fibrous. Waxy look. | Pronounced midrib. More fibrous. Grassy look rather than succulent/waxy. | | Corms | No corms | | Stem grows horizontally from bulb before emerging. | Stem grows vertically from bulb. | | Delicate growth | Robust growth |
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Post by richardw on May 30, 2013 14:08:43 GMT -5
Mine sounds very like your species 2,but i'll still send you some seed today anyway to compare.
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Post by 12540dumont on May 31, 2013 0:24:16 GMT -5
A couple of years ago a tractor guy backed up over the chive bed and it was ruined. Nothing left to save. Disked into smithereens.
Mine were purple as well, and I love the flowers in salads, but the greens in taters. Joseph, put me on your seed list for fall. I'll have the bolting ones if there are any leftover.
It took about 3 years to get a decent size self-propagating bed. No where near as big or as pretty as yours Joseph!
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Post by richardw on May 31, 2013 0:38:08 GMT -5
Holly i sent a truck load of my garlic chive seed to Joseph today,there should be enough to share around if you want to try some as well.
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Post by steev on May 31, 2013 22:55:54 GMT -5
Well, this is a really encouraging thread, but Damn! I need to get my spuds up to wanting chives.
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Post by ferdzy on Jun 1, 2013 21:13:35 GMT -5
Joseph, could your earlier-flowering species be allium ramosum, aka Chinese chives?
Description from Gardens North, who sells seed for this:
"A tallish species native to central Asia, Siberia and the Far East growing in meadows and sandy places. Above narrow, linear leaves, ample heads of star-shaped white flowers, each tepal touched with fine red nerves on the outside. This is an early summer blooming species that is often confused with Allium tuberosum (which blooms in the fall).
Well-known in Asian cuisine, the flavor of garlic chives is more like garlic than chives, though much milder."
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Post by Joseph Lofthouse on Jun 1, 2013 23:50:28 GMT -5
Ferdzy: It could be allium ramosum. The floppy leaves are especially consistent.
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Post by richardw on Jun 2, 2013 14:08:37 GMT -5
The flower heads of allium ramosum are much tighter than those of Allium tuberosum which is the one i have thanks ferdzy
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that is so different to mine,ok so its late spring/early summer for you blokes and yours is flowering,mine dont start to flower till late summer,its always the last seed for me to pick.i wonder way the difference??different strain ??,can i send ya some of my seed to see if it flowers at the same time as your? 
