I've noticed that some of my chives are twice as wide as other chives of the same type, and was wondering why some are wider than others.
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1I suppose they are all actually chives, are they? Or is there something else growing in with them? Photo might help – Bamboo May 31 '16 at 23:30
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Yes, they're perennial chives. – black thumb May 31 '16 at 23:32
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but they shouldn'tbe differing thicknesses suddenly, if you've had them some years, sure there isn't something else growing in with them? Do the stems look different in other ways, like shape? – Bamboo Jun 01 '16 at 00:16
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same shape, just twice as wide. – black thumb Jun 01 '16 at 01:11
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This is the reason that you should grow from local open pollinated seeds in that you grow the plants that are best suited for your local environment. Seeds purchased in packets might have been grown in a distant part of the country where conditions are far different.
So, when some seeds of purportedly the same variety grow differently, it's likely they have had environmental selection applied to them, and the ones that grow better came from a location that is similar to your own. And this is the reason you save the seeds from the best plants so that you keep getting the best plants for your region.
Graham Chiu
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they were given to me by someone else a few years ago, so i don't know if they're from seed or not. They're the perennial variety, not seed variety – black thumb May 31 '16 at 22:21
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Some are flower stalks, some are regular chive leaves. Chive flowers are edible - a bit harsh on their own, quite nice on sour cream or cream cheese on a cracker. The stalks are not very good eating.
Ecnerwal
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