How do you grow chives in soil?

Chives are cool-season, cold-tolerant perennials that prefer full sun and fertile, well-drained soils . Seeds should be planted ¼ inch deep and final plant spacing should be 4-6 inches apart in all directions. Mulches may be used to conserve water and control weeds.

How long do chives take to fully grow?

Chives are ready to harvest as soon as the leaves are long enough to clip and use in the kitchen. Cut the chives from the outside of the clump, leave a half-inch of stem, Chives are ready to harvest typically 60 days after planting the seeds.

What nutrients do chives need to grow?

Chives thrive in soil rich with organic matter and will likely require no additional fertilizer for years to come. Chives grown in sandy soil will need a boost at the beginning of each growing season. Mix in a 5-10-5 fertilizer each spring into the first 3 inches of soil around your plants.

Are chives easy to grow?

A popular and easy-to-use herb, chives are simple to grow and need very little maintenance. Buy young plants or raise them from seed and give them a sunny or lightly shaded spot, in the ground or in containers. Then just harvest regularly to keep fresh leaves coming.

Do chives need a lot of water to grow?

Chives generally need a lot of water , but when kept outdoors, rain is usually sufficient. Both in pots and in garden beds, make sure the soil is always moist. It is necessary to water your chives more frequently in summer than during the rest of the year, as plant growth is most vigorous at this time.

How deep should the soil be for chives?

SOWING: Direct seed (recommended): In spring, sow 1/4" deep as soon as the soil warms up. Place 4-6 seeds every 6" or 1-2 seeds per inch. Thin to 2-3 plants every 2-8".

Can I plant chives directly into the ground?

You can start chives seeds indoors about 6 to 8 weeks before your final frost date in the spring. If you're new to starting seeds indoors, check out our recommended list of supplies. You could also sow seeds directly in the garden once your soil is workable.

Should I let my chives flower?

Should you really let your chives bolt? Well, there's really no harm in letting your chives bloom , but your harvest might get smaller if you do. Most plants will produce smaller leaves when there are flowers too. The flower stalk is usually also hard and you can't eat it.

How do you keep chives growing all summer?

Although chives are drought tolerant, it's important to give them consistent watering throughout the growing season for high yields . Moisten the soil thoroughly when watering. Chives' small bulbs grow near the soil surface, so use mulch to conserve moisture and keep the weeds down.

How deep are chive roots?

Chives have a relatively shallow root system, but they still need space to spread out and grow without being constrained. Recommendation: Opt for a pot that is at least 8-12 inches deep.

What month do you plant chives?

Plant chives in early spring 4 to 6 weeks before the last frost. They're a wonderful option to use as a perennial garden border among flowers or in a culinary container garden.

How do you keep chives blooming?

The best way to get both flowers and a good harvest is to trim the plant down . Do this when the first flower buds are just developing. Trim half the tuft like in the picture above and leave the rest. This way, you get the best of two worlds.

How to grow chives (2024)

BBC Gardeners' World Magazine

Published: Tuesday, 7 July 2020 at 3:34 pm

Get the May issue, plus 2 for 1 Gardens guide and free seeds for £14.99

All you need to know about sowing, growing and harvesting the edible herb, chives.

	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep
Sow	yes	yes	yes
Plant		yes	yes	yes
Flowers			yes	yes
Cut back				yes	yes
Harvest				yes	yes	yes	yes

Chives are a great addition to your herb collection. With grass-like, mild, onion-flavoured leaves and purple miniature allium flowers, it's a very ornamental herb plant, loved by bees. The chopped leaves and flowers make lovely summer garnishes for salads and soups.

How to grow chives from seed

Sow chive seeds into a small pot or module. Chives need between 20-25°C to germinate so use a heated propagator, or place on a warm windowsill. Seedlings should appear within three weeks. There's no need to thin them out unless your pot is very crowded.

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When your seedlings are about 5cm high, they can be moved from the propagator and transplanted into 15-20 cm (6–8 inch) pots of peat-free multi-purpose compost. Grow these young plants on in cooler conditions, taking care to harden them off for about a week before planting them outside.

For their final growing conditions, plant chives in a large pot or the ground.

How to care for chives

Chives do best in fertile, well-drained soil in sun or partial shade. Keep plants well watered, particularly during hot weather.

Chives are perennial plants, so they will die back in winter and regrow in spring.

Pot grown chives will need dividing and repotting every couple of years. Chives growing in the ground can also become congested. Lift and divide congested clumps to rejuvenate them. Plant out the divisions to make new chive plants, or pass them on to friends.

Growing chives: problem solving

Chives are relatively trouble-free but can be prone to greenfly on new shoots, particularly if being grown in a greenhouse. Simply remove the greenflies from the leaves with your fingers or use a biological control.

Leek rust is a fungal disease that can cause bright yellow spots on chive leaves. Once it's infected plants, there's no cure so it's best to dispose of the plants. Don't add to the compost heap as the disease could spread. Keep chive plants well spaced as this can affect how the disease develops. Wet weather can contribute to the spread of leek rust and serious infections can cause leaves to shrivel. If leek rust is a problem, avoid growing leeks, garlic or onions in the same spot.

Harvesting chives

Snip chives with scissors as required, cutting the leaves from the base of the plant. This will encourage more leaves to grow. If you want to use the flowers as a decorative garnish, snip the heads off, as the stems of flowering shoots are not edible.

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Storing chives

Chives are best used freshly picked, as a garnish for salads and soups, or chicken, fish, egg or cheese dishes. They can be frozen for later use in cooked dishes, but will lose some flavour and texture.

Organic growing tip

Chives are a good companion plant for carrots, as the smell can deter pests such as carrot root fly.