Chives (allium schoeniprasum) are a hardy, easy to grow perennial herb that not only adds flavour to food but also adds beauty to the landscape. Right now, the chives in our garden at home are in full bloom. They have pink/purple, fluffy flowers that are found on the top of the thin, hollow, green stems, and these are edible as well and make an attractive addition to salads, etc.

 

Chives can be started from seed but they are most often purchased as young plants from the garden centre.

 

Plant them in a sunny location, in a rich, well drained soil. When choosing your site to plant chives, keep in mind that they are a hardy perennial and will come back year after year, so choose an area in the garden that is in the corner or along the side where they won’t be in the way when the garden gets tilled. They do not need a lot of maintenance. When they have first been planted give them a good water and continue to water them until they become established. Once they have a good root system they need very little care.

 

Chives grow in clumps and after a few years the clump should be divided, in either spring or fall to rejuvenate the plant. They are rarely bothered by pests or disease and are not an invasive plant like some herbs such as mint.

 

Chives can also be grown in a container and be left outdoors until after a few frosts. The chive filled container is then brought indoors to a cool area where the temperatures are just above freezing for a several weeks so that they can go through their dormant period and then after 12-15 weeks they can be watered and placed in a sunny area of the home. In a few weeks time you will be able to enjoy fresh herbs indoors.

 

Harvest chives throughout the season. Newly planted herbs should be allowed to become established before harvesting, so wait a few weeks. Already established chives, from last year can be harvested as soon as the growth appears.

 

When harvesting chives only take what you need and snip the stem a few centimetres from the base of the plant. If you are harvesting the flower, harvest it when it is fully open. Snip the stem a few centimetres from the ground and then snip the flower off the stem. The stem is discarded as it is tough and stiff. Some gardeners prefer to remove all the flowers as they form which allows the plant to put all its energy into producing more green stems. Another option, would be to cut the stems back after they have finished blooming, allowing the plant to grow new stems.

 

Chives is a versatile, perennial that grows very well in many local gardens. If you don’t have room or don’t have a vegetable garden they are pretty enough to plant in the flowerbed too!