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Chives - effects, use, cultivation and care
We all know chives as spice herbs. Less known are its properties as a medicinal plant. It is a leek (Allium), so a relative of garlic, wild garlic or garlic. This genus of Allieae belongs again to the family of Amaryllisgewächse. Chives are widespread: they reach the subarctic regions in the north and their natural occurrence in central Europe in the high mountains, in the plain in special habitats such as sunny gravel areas.
contents
- A survival artist
- blossom
- Chives: ecology and origin
- Water and mountains
- An old crop
- Use of chives in the kitchen
- Chives as a medicinal plant
- Grow the chives yourself
- The right location
- Moist earth
- sowing
- Beauty or taste
- overwinter
- pests
A survival artist
Chives are adapted to a "hard" biotope and form many-leaved clumps. In its barren habitat, it increases underground through daughter onions. These onions have the shape of eggs and a maximum diameter of one cm. From them sprout inside hollow leaves in tubular form with a diameter of up to 6 mm.
The chives produce purple to purple flowers from May to August. (Image: stgrafix / fotolia.com) blossom
The leeks bloom from May to August, the more sun the plant gets, the sooner the flowering begins. Each inflorescence contains up to 50 flowers.
The single flowers have the shape of bells and a diameter of only 5 mm. Their perianth is purple to purple or lilac, rarely white. The dust bags settle with a rich purple. Each three carpels fused to an ovary.
The bracts comprise a roundish capsule fruit in which there are black seeds.
Chives: ecology and origin
We know chives from the supermarket, from the balcony or "wild" in our gardens. It is not a "typical" Central European species. Rather, it belongs to the Arctic-alpine flora in the transition to steppe flora, so it is a cold-transmitting species.
Arctic and high mountains have in common that the temperatures are low there, more precisely, in mid-latitudes, the fauna and flora of the high mountains of the fauna of the lowlands in the far north corresponds: snow hare or snowfall, for example, occur in the north of Sweden in the plane, in Central Europe they are pushed back on Alps or Tatra.
In Scandinavia, for example, the leek is a typical species of limestone rocky soil and coniferous steppe biotopes. In the United Kingdom it was widespread during the Ice Age, today it finds itself on wet river banks.
Water and mountains
In Germany it grows wild in the mountains - often in the vicinity of springs or rocks exposed to rain, as well as on wet pastures in the middle and high mountains. On such "islands" it then grows in masses and occupies up to three quarters of the plant-covered area. He shares the habitat with wet-loving species such as the marsh horsetail or the cormorilla.
Its main distribution in Europe is in the north of Russia, Scandinavia, in the mountains of Spain and the Limestone Alps, in the Sudeten, the Carpathians and the mountains of the Balkans. There he grows up to 2650 m altitude; In Asia, its occurrence in the Himalayas even reaches 4760 m. Its habitats are generally rich in nutrients and water.
For example, the spicy herbs are perfect for wholemeal bread with cream cheese due to their strong taste. (Image: morissfoto / fotolia.com) An old crop
The Chinese cultivated the leek already in antiquity, in Europe their cultivation has been known since the Middle Ages. France, Bavaria, Austria and Hesse have a long tradition of using herbs in the kitchen - especially sauces with fresh herbs.
Use of chives in the kitchen
Chives taste of onions with their mustard oils, but they are not as "penetrating" as garlic and are therefore suitable as seasoning for salads, soups, scrambled eggs or spreads.
Chives as a medicinal plant
Lauches contain a lot of essential oils, garlic as well as leeks, wild garlic and chives. They work against bacteria, lower blood pressure and promote digestion. The leek stands out with vitamins and contains far more vitamin C than apples.
It contains large amounts of potassium and calcium, as well as magnesium, iron and phosphorus, as well as vitamin E and vitamin B6, vitamin A, vitamin K, niacin, riboflavin, thiamine and folic acid.
The plant has antioxidants that prevent cancer, and the plant also promotes the production of glutathione, a substance that helps the body repel toxins.
Chives drive urine and promote digestion, improve appetite, lower blood pressure and is a good home remedy for flatulence. Attributed to him effects against intestinal and gastric inflammation, gout and cough. Valid studies are still pending.
Chives contain significantly more vitamin C than apples. (Image: hcast / fotolia.com) Grow the chives yourself
The natural habitat already says, what we should pay attention to in self-cultivation: The plant needs no heat, but moisture, humus and sun. Then it spreads nationwide.
Without a garden, the leeks can be easily pulled on the windowsill and balcony, in the flower box or pot. We harvest the stems from March to October, cut them down to 2 cm and reap some weeks later.
It tastes best fresh, but it can also be frozen well. Although chives are also dried to buy, it loses many nutrients and tastes worse.
The right location
In the shade, he dies quickly. At the window, on the balcony or in the garden, we make sure that the plants are in the sun. Because of his love for the sun, he is ideally suited for a roof terrace.
Moist earth
Chives like moist and loose soil, lime and nutrients. If it's not raining, we should water regularly or put the plants directly on water: The leek also fits perfectly in the shoreline of a mini pond, in the balcony swamp bed or a "wet corner" in the yard, where the water runs badly.
Like other herbs, chives are easy to grow in a pot or flower box. (Image: mm_201 / fotolia.com) sowing
Sowing the leeks is no magic. We sprinkle the black grains in the loose soil, spread over a thin layer of humus and pour. The best time to sow is April. After ten days, the seeds germinate.
Beauty or taste
The leek develops flowers that adorn the garden like bright purple pearls and especially catch the eye of a pond when we mix the plant with white-flowering meadowsweet and yellow radiant irises.
Unfortunately, a lot of energy flows into the growth of the flowers - the more magnificent the flowers are, the lower the harvest. If we want to harvest abundantly, we should cut off the flowers and thus support the growth of the leaves.
overwinter
Chives are hardy as a greenhouse of the cold zones. Therefore, before the winter, we cut it off just above the ground.
pests
Like its relative, the garlic, it expels potential eaters by its strong smell. Therefore, we can also use it as a "city wall" and put other herbs in its vicinity or surround the herb bed with chives, garlic and wild garlic. (Dr. Utz Anhalt)
swell
https://www.vitamine.com/heilpflanzen/schnittlauch/
http://www.heilkraeuter.de/lexikon/schnittlauch.htm
http://www.pflanzenfreunde.com/heilpflanzen/schnittlauch.htm
Plant chives - freshly spiced kitchen herb
http://www.medical-pictures.de/bilder/Gewuerzpflanze-und-Heilpflanze-Allium-schoenoprasum-Schnittlauch-Graslauch-oder-Jakobszwiebel-2901.html
http://www.pflanzen-deutschland.de/Allium_schoenoprasum.html