How to Grow Chives For the Freshest
Onion Flavoured Leaves

With this guide about how to grow chives, you can soon be enjoying the culinary uses of this simple, yet delicious herb. 

This is one of the easiest to grow, and is ideal for the beginner gardener and they are happy in pots, on a windowsill or in your garden.

A Brief Guide to Growing Chives

Whilst their are a few varieties, some are better than others for culinary uses, and "regular" chives and garlic chives are the two most gardeners concentrate on.

General Info...

As a hardy perennial, you only have to plant once and and they'll regrow each year.

Though, after a few years it's worth digging them up and dividing the bulbs into 8-10 clumps for new growth.

Chive plants enjoy full sun but will tolerate partial shade in rich moist soil.

Growing Chives Indoors in Early Spring:

• Sow 10-15 seeds in 2 inch (6cm) pots using a general potting compost and water
• The temperature needs to be between 15-20°C (59-68°F)
• After the last frost, remove them from the pots and plant the clumps 10-12 inches (25-30cm) apart in the prepared bed or containers

How to Grow Chives Outdoors:

• In an area 3 inches (7-8cm) across, scatter 15-20 seeds. Cover with ¼ inch (1cm) compost. Repeat this as many times as you like separating each seed area by 10-12 inches (25-30cm)
• Keep well watered, particularly in dry weather as the leaves will turn brown if they're allowed to dry out

Note: You can do exactly the same in containers.

Harvesting Chives & Disease:

• After about 90 day you can start snipping the leaves for using. Snip the leaves from the base and from the outside in
• The flowers are edible, but to encourage better growth you can snip these off before flowering
• 2-3 times a year cut the plant down to 1 inch (3cm) above the soil for new leaves
• Like mint, the chive herb can suffer from rust, if this happens; dig up the entire plant and burn
  
  

Image Links to Other How to Grow Herb Pages

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