If there were an award for “easiest herb to grow,” chives might just win it. They’re incredibly cold hardy perennials, and will pop up reliably every spring. I was given a pot of them years ago by a neighbor and they’re still growing, right where I set them down and continue to neglect them.

They’re a culinary herb, usually added fresh as garnish. (No baked potato bar would be complete without them). They’re beloved for their fresh, oniony flavor and bright color that comes to the rescue when a dish is in need of a little something green.

They’re also highly ornamental, producing the lollipop-esque pompom flowers all alliums share. Though they might not be the most versatile for cooking, they’re some of the most common herbs grown by gardeners due to their reliability and showy flowers. Here we’ll cover everything there is to know about growing chives.

Quick Facts about Chives

Common vs. Garlic Chives

When people talk about chives, they could be talking about either of two distinct species. There are common chives (Allium schoenoprasum), which have hollow, tube-like leaves and edible purple pom-pom flowers. They have a mild, delicate onion flavor.

Then there are garlic chives (Allium tuberosum), also known as Chinese or Asian chives. These have flat, solid leaves and white, star-shaped flowers. As the name suggests, they have a subtle garlic punch and bloom later in the summer (August/September) than common chives.

We’re going to be talking here about common chives, the purple headed spring bloomers.

Growing Chives from Seed

It’s very easy to start chives from seed, both indoors and outdoors.

Indoors

1. Start 6-8 weeks before the last frost.
2. Plant chive seeds about 1/4 inch (6 mm) deep in the soil.
3. Water well.
4. Place the pot in a dark spot in temperatures 60 to 70 F (15-21 C).
5. When the seeds sprout, move them into the light.
6. When seedlings reach 6 inches (15 cm), you can transplant them to the garden.

Outdoors

1. Wait until after the last frost.
2. Plant chive seeds about 1/4 inch (6 mm) deep in the soil.
3. Water well.
4. The seeds may take a bit longer to germinate than indoors, because the soil needs time to warm up.

How to Grow Chives from Divisions

While seed propagation is possible, the most common way to grow chives is to start from divisions. In other words, you have to separate an older plant into multiple smaller plants.

Chives are victims of their own success, growing in dense clumps that have to be separated every three to four years to prevent overcrowding. The upshot is, you get more plants out of it.

1. In early spring or mid fall, find an established clump of chives.
2. Gently dig up the entire clump and pull off a smaller clump that contains 5-10 bulbs.
3. Repeat this as many times as you want or can.
4. Replant the smaller clumps at least 8-10 inches apart, or wherever you want more chives to take hold.

Growing Chives Indoors

There’s no rule that says you can’t grow chives indoors. In fact, chives are very well suited to indoor life, and usually perform the best of all the plants in an indoor herb garden. Grow indoor chives in a pot that drains well and is full of good potting soil. Place the pot in bright light. Harvest them just as you would outside.

Harvesting Chives

This of course brings us to harvesting chives. Wait until the plant is at least a foot (0.3 m) tall, then using a pair of shears, feel free to snip away as much as you need. You can cut back half of the plant’s growth without hurting it – it’ll grow right back. I personally have never found myself able to eat chives faster than they grow. I usually stop trying and just let them look pretty.

Speaking of which, those pretty purple flowers are edible as well. You can crumble them over a dish for a surprising purple garnish.

Chives in Winter

Can chives grow in winter? Unlike many herbs, chives actually benefit from a period of cold. It triggers their natural dormancy cycle and helps them grow stronger in the spring. That being said, they will die back and won’t be any good for harvesting.

If you want to harvest chives through the winter, there is a way.

1. Leave them outdoors for the first few frosts – this will trigger dormancy.
2. Dig up a clump and pot it.
3. Bring the pot indoors and put it on a bright windowsill.

The dormant period followed by warmth will trick the plant into thinking it’s spring, and you’ll get a fresh winter harvest.

Essentials for Growing Chives

When King Tutankhamen's tomb was excavated, well preserved garlic cloves were found. The ancient Egyptians revered the pungent bulb, as do many of us today, with the exception of people having alliumphobia, or fear of garlic. If you fear garlic's strong aroma and taste, try growing garlic chives.

Garlic Chives Information

Garlic chives (Allium tuberosum) are perennial plants also referred to as Chinese chives, which impart a mild garlicky/oniony flavor to a variety of dishes. Commonly found in Asian cuisines, garlic chives can be found in salads, soups, soft cheeses, herbal compound butters, herbed vinegars and grilled meats. Garlic chives history finds the herb as being first recorded between 4,000 and 5,000 years ago in China. Otherwise, I wasn't able to locate additional information on its history, but it seems a safe bet that it is one of the more ancient herbs still in use today. Garlic chive information that is readily available references its uses medicinally. Although we tend to use it in foods here, in other countries, such as India, garlic chives have a plethora of medicinal uses. The herb has been used as an antibacterial, to treat cardiac ailments, as a depurative, digestive, stimulant, tonic and to treat stomach aches. It is used to improve kidney functions along with urinary incontinence. The foliage as well as the bulb are applied topically to bites, cuts and other wounds.

Growing Garlic Chives in Gardens

Growing garlic chives differ from regular chives in that they have flat versus hollow leaves. Otherwise, the two look similar. The plant arises from a rhizome and becomes a clump of 28-inch or so stalks. From these stalks, small, star-shaped white flowers are produced. In USDA zones 8 or warmer, garlic chives may be green year round, but in USDA zones 7 and cooler, the plants die back only to return in the spring. This herb is easy to grow and will readily self-sow unless deadheaded; remember, you can eat the flowers! Divide plants in early spring or start seed in the spring in a cold frame. Snip back and use the leaves fresh from spring through late summer or early fall.

You know you are in heaven when you have fresh chives at hand to adorn meats and cheeses, season breads and soups, or simply add their fresh, lightly oniony flavor to a salad. Chives are an essential part of any culinary garden and dry wonderfully for winter use. If you are planning a kitchen garden and wondering what to grow near chives, wonder no more. There are a host of perfect chive plant companions for texture, color, and flavor.

What to Grow Near Chives

Companion planting isn't anything new. Our ancestors knew what plants seemed to benefit from being close to each other, whether as a repellent, disease indicator, support, soil enhancer, or any other reason. Chives have a sulfur-based oil that is the heart of the flavors we enjoy but can also be a deterrent to many pests. They also have large, tufted, purple flower heads that are a bee magnet and draw pollinators to your garden. In almost every case, it doesn't matter what you plant them near, as companion planting with chives has a host of positive results. Many gardeners swear by using chives near roses to help repel black spot and enhance growth. Chives are also said to ward off Japanese beetles, a common pest of roses and other ornamentals. If you plant chive near apple trees, it seems to have the ability to prevent apple scab and deter borers. Grapes are excellent companion plants for chives, as the Allium seems to help prevent insect pests and increase pollinating visitors, thus enhancing yields. If you do add chives to the vegetable garden, you will see a number of benefits. The oils in the plant repel numerous insects, and the pollinators it attracts help increase fruit and vegetable yields. For instance, chives can increase the length and flavor of carrots when in proximity, and repel aphids from celery, lettuce, and peas. They also repel cucumber beetles, which can make a mess of your Cucurbit crop. Tomatoes benefit from their odorous oils and attractive flowers. Herbs seem natural companion plants for chives and, indeed, they are. Place chives in your herb pots for quick, delicious additions to any dish.

Companion Planting with Chives

Chives are such attractive plants it is a shame to keep them in the vegetable garden alone. While it may seem that chive plant companions derive much from simply being near the plants, there are other ways chives can be helpful in the garden and home. Dried chive flowers are wonderful in an everlasting bouquet and keep much of their purple color. Mix chives and water in a blender with a little dish soap for a repelling pest spray on most plants and to deter powdery mildew on vegetables. Ornamentally, the chive plant has lively, slender green foliage and those wonderful fluffy flowers, making them perfect to enhance a perennial garden or herbal container. As an added bonus, chives can be cut and come again several times in one season. Dry them or cut them into small pieces and freeze them so you can enjoy them year-round.

The economy goes up whether we are ready for it to or not. So, finding ways to save money is key to keeping a healthy budget. Growing your own food is a perfect way to save funds and feed the family healthy dishes. Having herbs like a garlic chives plant ensures that homegrown produce will always have maximum flavor. You can even eat or garnish with the beautiful garlic chive flowers. Growing garlic chives from seed is time consuming, but a plant will quickly establish from cloves or bulbs.  Growing a garden provides the opportunity to season with organic ingredients just outside the door. It is not only a joy to produce one's own food, but a frugal tip that can stretch the budget. For example, just one garlic chives bulb will produce tons of slender, green leaves to zest up recipes. Re-growing kitchen scraps is one easy way to keep flavor fresh in favorite recipes. 

Growing a Garlic Chives Bulb

Growing garlic chives from seed will result in spindly little shoots eventually, but the wanted bulb will take a very long time. If you want to just grow the shoots for cooking, the fastest way is with a garlic clove. The garlic chives aren't as robust as mature garlic scapes, but add a gentle, mellow, garlic flavor to recipes. The shoots look similar to scallion greens but are less oniony and more garlicky. They sprout from the clove and are the first sign of growth in garlic. Garlic left in a cool, dark location may sprout on its own without any intervention. Garlic that has started sprouting can be pulled apart into individual cloves to grow on or can be left whole. Each clove will eventually send out sprouts in proper conditions. 

How to Start Garlic Chives

Soil is not necessary for growing garlic sprouts. To start sprouts you will need a shallow dish or glass and water. Place the clove or the whole garlic bulb in the container with the rooting end down. This is the flat bottom of a bulb, or in the case of a clove, the scarred area opposite the pointed tip. Submerge the bottom in water. Change the water every few days to prevent pathogens like molds. In just a few days you will begin to see bright green shoots. Let them grow to the height you require and harvest them by cutting them off. More shoots will soon reappear. 

Planting Sprouted Garlic

Once the garlic has sprouted, it will keep forming shoots for a time. To really get growing, though, it will need some nutrients. Plant each clove in potting soil in a depth twice its length. Keep moderately moist and allow shoots to form. Over time the plant will produce more garlic bulbs. The shoots should remain on the plant to photosynthesize and drive bulb formation. When scapes form, they may be removed and eaten.  If you want to try growing garlic chives from seed, sow seed in starter mix in flats and water. Soon little fine green shoots will appear. If your goal is to get bulbs, leave these alone and let the plants grow. Thin if necessary and transplant when they are several inches tall (8 cm.). The seedlings will form bulbils and eventually, after more than a year, will develop bulbs. 

Chives are a delicious and ornamental addition to the herb garden and suffer little from disease or pests. Both the mild onion-tasting leaves and the small poufs of pinkish-purple blossoms are edible, and impart not only flavor but surprising bursts of color in salads or as garnish. The question is, when and how to harvest chives. Read on to find out more information regarding the harvesting and storing of chives.

Chive Plant Harvest

A member of the onion family Alliaceae, chives (Allium schoenoprasum) are cultivated for their grass-like hollow leaves, which impart a subtle onion flavor to a variety of dishes. The plant is low maintenance and easy to grow but thrives in full sun and well-draining rich soil with a pH of 6.0-7.0. The plant grows in a grass-like tuft that can attain heights of 20 inches (50 cm.). Of course, if you are picking chives, the plant can be maintained at a much lower height. The edible lavender flowers blossom in the late spring from May to June. Chives can also be grown indoors and can be propagated either by seed or planting rooted clumps in the spring after all danger of frost has passed in your area. Older chive plants should be divided every 3-4 years in the spring.

When to Harvest Chives

There is no set chive plant harvest time. You may begin picking chives 30 days after transplanting or 60 days after sowing seed when the leaves are at least 6 inches (15 cm.) tall. The plant will produce more abundantly in its second year and thereafter you can continue to pick at will over the course of the summer and in mild climates through the winter. In cooler regions, the plant dies back naturally until spring when the bright green blades can be seen poking up from the soil.

Harvesting and Storing Chives

There is no mystery as to how to harvest chives. Using a sharp pair of kitchen shears, snip the leaves from the base of the plant, to within 1-2 inches (2.5-5 cm.) of the soil. In the first year, harvest 3-4 times. Thereafter, cut the chive back monthly. Cut the flower stalks off at the soil line to prevent the plant from forming seeds. This will encourage the plant to keep producing leaves, and you can utilize the flowers as garnish or tossed into salads. Chives can be used both fresh and dried but they lose quite a bit of their flavor when dried. It’s best to use them fresh. If you have cut too many to use or don’t end up using the cut chives right away, you can place the ends in water and store them in the refrigerator for a couple of days. You can also freeze chives by chopping them up and placing them in freezer bags. Again, the flavor loses something in the translation and it’s better to use them fresh. Chives do well grown indoors, so for a fresh supply of chives, try growing them in a pot, perhaps with some other herbs for a continuous supply of fresh flavor.

We cultivate our chives amongst our herb beds, but did you know that wild chives (Allium schoeneprasum) are one of the most common and easy-to-identify wild-growing plants? What are wild chives and are wild chives edible? Read on to find out about wild chive identification and if wild chives are safe to eat.

Are Those Wild Chives in My Yard?

Wild chives are indeed so common you may have wondered, “are those wild chives in my yard?” It is very likely the case. These perennial monocots reside in the onion genus and are the smallest species of onion. They are the only Allium species native to both the Old and New World and can be found throughout Europe, Asia, and North America. Chives have been cultivated in Europe since at least the 16th century, but wild chives have been used according to Egyptian and Mesopotamian records to 5,000 B.C. Native people used wild chives medicinally as well. Depending upon the culture, wild chives were used to stimulate the appetite or rid the system of worms, clear sinuses, as an antiseptic, or treat a variety of maladies from insect bites, hives, burns, sores, and even snakebites. Wild chives contain sulfur compounds that ward off insect pests. They make a great companion plant in the garden, a natural pesticide if you would.

Wild Chive Identification

The wild chive is easy to identify if you’ve ever seen a domestic chive. They look like a clump of grass as they grow except that the leaf blades are not flat like grass but rather cylindrical and hollow. Wild chives will be one of the first plants to appear in the spring and easily stand out amongst the dormant grass. Wild chives grow between 10 and 20 inches (25-51 cm.) in height. The aroma is lightly oniony, and while there are other plants that look similar, the poisonous mountain death-camas, for example, they lack the distinctive aroma. Wild chives can be found growing in USDA zones 4 through 8 among grasses and natural areas.

Are Wild Chives Safe to Eat?

While historically wild chives have been used medicinally, modern people use chives as a seasoning or on their own, sautéed as a vegetable. They impart a wonderful, delicate onion flavor to soups and stew, and can even be pickled. The entire part of the plant can be eaten. Even the lilac flowers of wild chives are edible as well as beautiful when garnished atop a salad or soup. As mentioned, other plants look similar to wild chives – wild onion and wild garlic to name two. What is the difference between wild onions, wild garlic, and wild chives? Wild chives look similar to wild garlic in that they both have hollow leaves while wild onion foliage does not. Sometimes wild onion is also called wild garlic, which is confusing, to say the least. These are two distinct plants, however. Wild garlic (Allium vineale) and wild onion (Allium canadense) and are both perennials often thought of more as weeds. That said, all three are members of the Allium family and will all have a distinct aroma. As such, when a plant looks like an onion and smells like an onion, you can eat it like an onion. The same goes with wild garlic, which is just a wild version of our domestic garlic-- albeit with smaller cloves.

Chives are low-maintenance denizens of the herb garden, and they’re handy when you want to snip a few for use in recipes or topping baked potatoes. The only problem is that these easy-to-grow plants aren’t always well-behaved and before you know it, they can escape their boundaries and pop up in places where you don’t want them – including your well-tended lawn. Read on for helpful tips for controlling chives and ridding lawns of chive plants.

How Do You Get Rid of Chives?

If chives are spreading in lawns, you’ll need to implement a two-pronged approach because chives are spread by both seeds and underground bulbs. To prevent the plant from going to seed, remove all of the blooms before they wilt – or better yet, mow or trim them before they have a chance to bloom at all. Removing the chive bulbs requires digging – a lot. A thin trowel or similar tool is best for digging bulbs in grass, and you may sacrifice a small amount of grass to get rid of the chives. Water the area the day before to soften the ground. Don’t attempt to pull the plants because the tiny bulblets will break off and spread. Be persistent and continue to dig as soon as new plants appear.

Controlling Chives with Chemicals

Chemical herbicides aren’t always effective against chives because of the waxy coating on the leaves. However, many gardeners find that products containing 2,4-D are effective against chives, and this chemical is safe to use on most – but not all – types of grass. Be sure to read the label carefully before spraying your lawn to prevent serious damage caused by using the wrong product. Ridding lawns of chive plants may require several applications. Now that you know how to better manage this plant, growing chives in the garden can become a less frustrating process.

Chives (Allium schoenoprasum) make a wonderful addition to the herb garden. In gardens throughout France, the herb is almost obligatory since it is one of the ‘fines herbes' traditionally combined with chervil, parsley, and tarragon to flavor chicken, fish, vegetables, soups, omelets, and salads. Chive seed planting is the most common method of propagation. So, how to grow chives from seed? Let's find out.

Chive Seed Propagation

Chives are grown primarily for their culinary uses, but the herb may also be grown for its lovely, light purple flowers and flourishes in containers as well as in the garden proper. A member of the onion or Amaryllidaceae family along with garlic and leeks, chives are native to northern Europe, Greece, and Italy. This hardy, drought tolerant perennial grows to between 8 and 20 inches (20-51 cm.) high in clumps via underground bulbs. Chives have hollow, round leaves much like onions, although smaller. I propagate my chives by dividing my massive decade-old chive plant but growing chives from seed is the common method for starting this herb; unless you live next door to me, in which case, please, come get one!

“How To” Guide to Chive Seed Planting

Growing chives from seed is a simple process, as seed germinates easily, albeit slowly. Sow seed ½ inch (1 cm.) deep in flats of peat-based soilless mix. Keep the flat consistently moist and in temps of between 60 and 70 degrees F. (15-21 C.). At four to six weeks and once all danger of frost has passed, the chive seedling can be transplanted outside. Planting chive seeds can also occur directly outside in the garden once the soil has warmed. Space plants 4 to 15 inches (10-38 cm.) apart in rows 20 or more inches (51 or more cm.) apart. As mentioned, propagation can be from chive seed, transplants, or division. Divide the plants every two to three years, separating new plants into clumps of about five bulbs each. When planting chive seeds, the soil should be rich, moist, and high in organic matter with a soil pH of between 6 and 8. Prior to planting the seedlings, amend the soil with 4 to 6 inches (10-15 cm.) of composted organic matter and apply 2 to 3 tablespoons of all purpose fertilizer per square foot of planting area. Work this in down to 6 to 8 inches (15-20 cm.) of soil. Chives thrive in full sun, but will do well in partial shade. Fertilize the plants a few times during the growing season with bone meal and manure or a well-balanced commercial fertilizer. Side dress with 10 to 15 pounds (4.5-7 kg.) of nitrogen two times during the growing season and keep the herb consistently moist and the area weeded.

It looks like an onion chive but tastes more like garlic. Garlic chives in the garden are also often referred to as Chinese chives plants and as such was first recorded between 4,000-5,000 years ago in China. So, what are garlic chives and how do they differ from ordinary garden chives?

What are Garlic Chives?

Its scientific name of Allium tuberosum is indicative of its oniony roots and falls among the family Liliaceae. Unlike onions or other types of garlic, however, the fibrous bulb is not edible but is grown rather for its flowers and stems. It is easy to differentiate between onion chives and garlic chives. Garlic chives have a flat, grass-like leaf, not a hollow one as do onion chives. They grow between 12 to 15 inches (30.5 to 38 cm.) tall. Garlic chives make a lovely flower in a border planting or container garden and work well in the herb garden. They can be planted along a path or as a dense ground cover too. The small, star-shaped flowers are usually cream-colored and born on sturdy stems in June. The flowers can be eaten or dried and made into floral arrangements. The seed heads are also often used in everlasting arrangements or can be allowed to remain and drop seeds for continual reseeding. Growing garlic chives are usually cultivated for culinary uses such as in herbal vinegars, salads, soups, soft cheeses, compound butters, and grilled meat. Of course, its ornamental properties are nothing to sneeze at, and, it attracts butterflies.

How to Grow Wild Garlic Chives

I'm betting that everyone will want to know how to grow wild garlic chives in the herb garden, that is if you haven't already. These little perennials can be planted up to USDA zone 3 in full sun exposure and rich, well-draining soil with a pH of 6.0. Transplant or thin to 6 inches (15 cm.). Plant your garlic chives among carrots, grapes, roses, and tomatoes. They will supposedly deter pests such as Japanese beetles, black spot on roses, scab on apples, and mildew on cucurbits. Propagate either from seed or division. Divide the plants in the spring every three years. Propagation from seed may result in an invasion of garlic chives, so you may want to either eat the flowers before they dry and drop seeds or remove and discard them.

Care of Garlic Chives

The care of garlic chives is pretty straightforward. Water as needed; although the plants are drought-tolerant, they do enjoy moist soil. Other care of garlic chives instructs fertilizing them at the start of the growing season with a slow-release fertilizer. After a long-term freeze, garlic chives will often die back only to return again come springtime. Garlic chives not only have a multitude of culinary uses, but are said to be beneficial to the digestive system, stimulate appetites, promote blood circulation, and have diuretic properties. Clip the stems either all the way to the ground or with 2 inches (5 cm.) remaining to allow the herb to grow anew.

Growing chives indoors make perfect sense so that you may have them near the kitchen. Use chives liberally in dishes; chives growing indoors will benefit from a regular trim. Keep reading to learn more about how to grow chives indoors.

How to Grow Chives Indoors

A sunny south window offers the six to eight hours of full sunlight needed when growing chives inside. Rotate pots if chives are reaching toward the light. If a sunny window is not an option, chives growing indoors can get the necessary light from a fluorescent fixture 6 to 12 inches (15-30.5 cm.) above the pot. Two 40-watt bulbs work best when growing chives inside. Chives growing indoors appreciate other growing pots close by to provide humidity as well as a fan for air circulation. Humidity for indoor chives may also be provided by nearby pebble trays filled with water or miniature water features nearby. Misting with a water bottle can also help prevent low humidity. Chives growing inside should be watered when the soil is dry to the touch on the top. Low-dose fertilization is recommended for growing chives indoors. A water-soluble fertilizer at half strength may be applied twice per month; heavier doses may weaken the taste of the chives. When growing chives indoors, pests should be minimal. Often the aroma of chives acts as a pest repellent, but in the event of insect problems, spray well with soapy water. This can be applied as needed.

Tips for Planting Chives Indoors

To begin growing chives indoors, fill a 6-inch (15 cm.) clay pot with a well-draining potting medium that you have pre-moistened. Soil should form a ball when squeezed, but not be soggy or dripping water. Broadcast seeds over the pre-moistened medium and cover with a fine layer of the pre-moistened soil, about ¼ inch (6 mm.) deep. Place in the lighted area. Seeds may be kept moist until germination with a mist of water, weak plant food, or weak compost tea. Chives germinate within two weeks, often more quickly. Growing chives indoors offers a handy and easy way to season your food and brighten your space.