Short answer: soak 20 to 30 g of garlic chive seed for 4 to 6 hours. Sow it on a 10 × 20 inch tray of moist soil and cover it with a lightly weighted tray for about a week. Uncover, give bright light, and water from below. Cut at 14 to 21 days and remove any clinging hulls.
What are garlic chives microgreens?
Garlic chives (Allium tuberosum), also called Chinese chives, have flat leaves and a garlic flavour. As microgreens, they grow as thin green shoots. Sprouting.com gives them 12 to 14 days as sprouts and 14 to 21 as microgreens.1
How to grow garlic chives microgreens
- Day0
Soak
Soak the seed for 4 to 6 hours. Drain.
- Day0
Sow
Spread the seed over moist soil and press it in.
- Day0–7
Weighted blackout
Cover with a tray and a light weight. Mist daily.
- Day7
Light
Uncover once the shoots stand. Give bright light.
- Day14–21
Harvest
Mist, remove hulls, and cut above the soil.
Problems and fixes
| Problem | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Hulls on tips | Normal for alliums | Weight during blackout, pick off |
| Slow start | Normal | Keep damp and warm |
| Thin, floppy shoots | Low light | More light |
Tips for growing garlic chives microgreens
- Soak 4 to 6 hours to speed the slow start.
- Sow 20 to 30 g per 10 × 20 inch tray, evenly.
- Weight the blackout. A light weight helps the shoots shed their black seed hulls.
- Keep it damp and warm for the first week.
- Be patient. Alliums are among the slowest microgreens.
Garlic chives vs onion and leek microgreens
| Microgreen | Flavour | Days |
|---|---|---|
| Garlic chives | Mild garlic | 14–21 |
| Onion | Sharp onion | 14–21 |
| Leek | Mild, sweet onion | 14–21 |
All three grow the same way and look like fine green grass. You can sow them on the same day in separate trays.
Cooking with garlic chives microgreens
Garlic chives are a favourite in Chinese and Korean cooking. Use the microgreens on dumplings, in egg fried rice, on noodle soups and in scrambled eggs. Add them at the end so the garlic flavour stays fresh.
Storing and eating
Use within 5 to 7 days. Add garlic chives microgreens to dumplings, noodles, eggs, stir-fries and fried rice. See microgreens in world cuisines.
Garlic chives FAQ
What do garlic chives microgreens taste like?
Mildly garlicky, softer than raw garlic. They're popular in Asian cooking.
How long do garlic chives microgreens take?
About 14 to 21 days on soil after a 4 to 6 hour soak.
Are garlic chives the same as regular chives?
No. Garlic chives (Allium tuberosum) have flat leaves and a garlic flavour. Regular chives are hollow and taste like mild onion.
How do I get rid of the black seed hulls?
Use a weighted blackout, mist the tray before harvest, and brush or pick off any hulls that stay on the tips.
Written by Michael
A passionate sprouting professional sharing practical tips for growing sprouts and microgreens at home. More about Michael
Sources
- Sprouting.com (Mumm's Sprouting Seeds). Product pages: days to sprout, soak time and yield for each seed. Link
