The Low-Maintenance Herb That Will Replant Itself In The Garden Every Year

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Planting an herb garden can provide some welcome reprieve from rising grocery costs. However, it can be a challenging feat, especially if you're not familiar with your particular climate or the herbs that grow well in it. You should identify herbs and plants that won't require much maintenance to hit the jackpot for a thriving herb garden. Perennial herbs that return to your garden on their own each year are beneficial for longevity, and garlic chives (Allium tuberosum) are the perfect low-maintenance herb, as they will happily reseed in many gardens.

Garlic chives thrive in perennial hardiness zones 3 to 9. They are similar but distinct from regular chives (Allium schoenoprasum) as they grow better in hotter summer climates. Incorporating garlic chives into your herb garden has very few drawbacks, as they are simple to grow, edible, and attract more pollinators, which is beneficial for helping other nearby plants to grow and thrive. You might be in the habit of dividing your perennials to help provide roots with more space in your garden, but you should avoid dividing these perennials as it can cause them to stop blooming. After a few years, though, garlic chives can become overcrowded due to their aggressive spreading and self-seeding habits. At this point, you can deadhead, divide, or hand-pull them to open up more space.

There are many tips for growing a thriving herb garden, but for garlic chives, it may be most helpful to start with a small tray containing two seedlings in each cell. You can find seed starting trays at most garden centers, and similar products, such as Back to the Roots Plantable Seed Starting Pots, are a good choice to pair with an organic seed starting mix. Garlic chives are among the soonest herbs to arrive with the warmer weather in early spring, and they will resprout every following season. Once your seeds sprout and grow long green stems, you can move them into your garden or a large pot. Keep in mind that they are weaker as young plants, so you must be careful when transplanting.

Garlic chives' green stalks will reach a height of about 1 ½ feet and eventually sprout white, star-shaped flowers in the fall, which have a strong garlic and onion scent and grow fuller in full sun. Their soil should be nutrient-rich and moist but not too soggy to keep them healthy and growing back. When you want to use the chives, you can harvest them by cutting them low, just a couple of inches from the soil level. Use them quickly, though, since once they are harvested, they only stay fresh for a few days stored in water or the fridge.