How to Grow Chives: A Practical Guide from Seed to Harvest

Chives are one of the easiest herbs to grow and, once you've got a clump established, they'll come back year after year with very little attention.

They're ideal if you don't have much space. Chives grow happily in the ground, amongst flowers or in a pot near the kitchen door. I like having them somewhere easy to reach because they're one of those herbs you tend to harvest fresh.

The leaves have a mild onion flavour and can be picked through much of the growing season. The purple flowers are edible too and look lovely in salads, you will also notice that bees are attracted to them too. 

You can grow chives easily from seed. They take a little while to make a substantial clump, but once established they'll keep getting bigger and can eventually be divided to make more plants.

Give them reasonable soil, some sunshine and regular water while they're getting established, and they'll mostly look after themselves. They are a perennial and my clump has grown well for many years.

When to Sow

Chives can be sown from March to May, either under cover or directly outside once conditions have warmed.

I usually start them in pots or modules during March or April. They're not difficult to germinate and starting them under cover means you can get a decent little clump growing before planting outside.

There's no great rush, though. Chives are perennial plants and can find a permanent place in the garden

You can sow directly outside from around April or May. Choose a spot where the plants can stay for a while because established chives gradually develop into larger clumps.

If you're growing them in containers, you can sow directly into the pot they're going to live in. I often treat my pot grown herbs as annuals.

Don't worry if the seedlings initially look rather fine and unimpressive. Chives take a little time to develop. Give them light, water and a bit of patience get established 

How to Sow

Chive seeds are straightforward to sow, although I don't bother trying to give every seed its own little pot.

Fill pots or modules with multipurpose or seed compost and sow a small pinch of seeds together, covering them with around 0.5–1cm of compost.

Water gently and keep somewhere reasonably warm until they germinate. Keep the compost moist but not soaking wet.

Once the seedlings appear, move them somewhere with plenty of light.

I like growing chives as little groups rather than separating every seedling. You're eventually trying to produce a clump of leaves.

For direct sowing, make a shallow drill, sow the seeds fairly thinly and cover lightly with soil. Keep the area watered while the seedlings establish.

Sometimes you might need to thin them a little, but don't worry about achieving perfect spacing between every plant.

Chives are fairly forgiving and soon settle down once they're growing strongly.

Planting Out and Growing On

Plant pot-grown chives outside once they're established and conditions have improved in spring.

Choose a position in sun or light partial shade. They'll grow in quite a range of garden soils, although they appreciate ground that holds some moisture without staying waterlogged.

If you're planting several clumps, leave around 20–30cm between them.  The established chives soon fill this space.

Water them thoroughly after planting and keep an eye on them during their first few weeks.

Chives are also excellent container plants. You don't need an enormous pot to begin with, although an established clump will eventually appreciate a little more room.

Once plants are settled, there really isn't much to do. Keep weeds away from young plants and water during dry weather.

Don't be surprised if the foliage disappears or looks rather sorry during winter. Chives are perennial and will normally produce fresh new leaves again when conditions improve in spring.

That's one of the nice things about them — you don't have to start again every year.

Watering and Feeding

Chives aren't particularly demanding, but you'll get better, softer leaves if the plants aren't repeatedly allowed to become very dry.

Water newly planted chives regularly while they're establishing. Established plants growing in the ground usually only need extra water during prolonged dry spells.

Chives in containers need checking more often because compost dries considerably faster than garden soil.

Container-grown chives may appreciate an occasional general-purpose liquid feed during the growing season, particularly if they've been sitting in the same compost for some time.

If an old clump seems to be getting crowded and producing thinner growth, it may not need fertiliser at all. It could simply be ready for dividing and replanting.

Harvesting

Start picking chives once the plants have enough growth that removing a few leaves won't weaken them.

Rather than pulling individual leaves, I usually take a small bunch and snip them near the base with scissors. Fresh leaves will grow back from the centre.

Make sure you don't take too many leaves in the first season as this will stop a decent clump forming

Once established, chives can be harvested regularly from spring into autumn.

The flowers are edible too. Pull the individual purple florets apart and scatter them over salads or other dishes for a mild onion flavour and a bit of colour.

If the leaves become coarse or untidy after flowering, you can cut the whole clump back to a few centimetres above the ground. Give it some water and you'll usually get a fresh flush of tender new leaves.

Dividing Established Chives

After a few years, a healthy chive plant can become a fairly substantial clump.

Rather than leaving it to become increasingly congested, dig it up in spring or autumn and divide it into several smaller pieces.

It's not a delicate operation. Use a spade, knife or your hands to separate the clump, making sure each piece has a reasonable amount of root attached.

Replant the divisions at the same depth, water them well and they'll soon settle in.

You can also divide container-grown chives when they've filled their pot. Keep one section and replant the others elsewhere or pass them on to someone who needs a chive plant.

One packet of seed can eventually produce an awful lot of chives.

Common Problems

Slugs and Snails

Slugs and snails can occasionally nibble young chive seedlings, particularly when plants are small and conditions are damp.

Keep an eye on newly planted clumps. Once established, chives are usually robust enough that a little damage doesn't matter much.

Aphids

Aphids can sometimes gather around the leaves or flower stems.

Small colonies can usually be washed away with water. Chive flowers attract plenty of insects, so beneficial predators often aren't far away either.

Yellowing Leaves

A few yellow or dying leaves are normal, particularly on older growth.

If the whole plant is yellowing, check that the soil isn't waterlogged and that container plants haven't completely exhausted their compost.

Thin or Weak Growth

An old clump that has become very congested can start producing weaker leaves.

Dig it up, divide it and replant the younger sections with a little fresh compost. This often gives an old plant a new lease of life.

Rust

Chives and other members of the onion family can occasionally develop rust, which appears as orange or yellowish spots on the leaves.

Remove badly affected foliage and avoid crowding plants together. Good airflow helps, and severely affected old growth can simply be cut back.

Plants Looking Untidy After Flowering

This isn't really a problem at all.

Chives often look tired once they've finished flowering. Cut the foliage back to a few centimetres above the ground, give the plant a drink and wait for fresh leaves to appear.

Chives are one of those herbs I think deserve a permanent place in the garden. They're easy, useful, the flowers are beautiful and the bees love them. Get one decent clump established and you'll probably still be picking from it years later — with several more clumps appearing around the garden after you've divided it a few times.