Greenhouse production of cilantro and garlic chives could tap the ever expanding market for ethnic vegetables and herbs. Cell size and plant density were varied to determine the yield of the plants in a greenhouse situation. Individual experimental units were 0.1 square meter. Initial trials demonstrated an effect of cell size on the harvested fresh weight of garlic chive foliage. Thus, a limiting plant density was not reached in these experiments because individual Chinese chive plants are quite small with 3-8 narrow leaves per plant.
Thrips can be a significant problem on garlic chives in the greenhouse.
No pesticides are cleared for thrips on fresh herbs in the greenhouse so thrips screening and excellent santitation must be used to manage these insects. Cilantro Cilantro was a successful short term crop requiring only 50 to 60 days for production. This fast production time led to high greenhouse space utilization due to the rapid turnover. The effects of cell size and plant density on yield of cilantro were variable. The yield of cilantro foliage was increased in the experiment completed in the spring.