It is one of the herbs we like to grow in the garden, on the balcony or even in a pot: chives indeed give our salads or fresh cheeses a nice subtle taste of onion. Being a perennial, it is quite easy to grow and thanks to the bulbs planted in the ground, it will come back every year to delight you with its delightful stems and its pretty flowers in the form of small purple spheres. Do you want to grow chives but don’t know how to do it? We explain everything in this practical article.
Sow or plant in the ground after the last frost
Whether you decide to sow seeds or plant bulbs directly in the ground, wait until the last frost has passed to do so. Chives need warm soil to grow well. If you want to grow a little earlier, you can start your seedlings indoors, away from direct sunlight, and then plant them in the ground once the last threat of frost has passed.
Separate the plants about fifteen centimeters
Be careful not to set your plants too tightly in the ground: when planting or transplanting, space them about six inches apart. Sowing directly into the ground allows you to bring the seeds closer together and then keep the strongest plants and thin out the rest. In pots, choose a 20-centimeter or more container in which to grow a few plants.
Enrich the soil with compost
Chives can grow in full sun as well as in a somewhat shady spot. Just be sure to add some compost to your soil to give it extra nutrients to help it grow.
Water thoroughly
Chives need regular watering, especially in hot weather. So make sure that the soil remains moist.
- Read this article to find out when to water your plants: Garden: When is the best time of day to water your plants and vegetable garden?
Pinch flowers to stimulate growth
To grow your chive plant, pinch off any budding stems or flowers. If you want to collect seeds, you can make one of your plants bloom and the flowers will go to seed. Note: the flowers are edible. Ideal to give a salad some color, for example!
Cut the stems 5 cm from the ground
To harvest your chives, nothing could be easier: just cut the stems about 2 inches (5 cm) from the ground. These will grow back slowly over time. The arrival of the first frost marks the end of your plants. Cut off your stems at this point, but leave enough to not kill your bulbs and start them over again next spring!
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