🌱 Sowing & planting
- Sowing depth: 1.3 cm
- Sowing distance: approximately 1 cm all around (scatter seeds evenly)
- Germination temperature: 20–25 °C
- Germination period: 10–14 days
- Planting distance: You can plant out commercially available pots directly; you can also divide the root ball and plant the clumps with some space between them.
- Growth cycle: ± 130 days to a well-harvested clump – then perennial, returning every year.
- Plant out: when the plants are about 15 cm high.
📅 Growing times throughout the year
- Sow indoors/glass: sow March–May; transplant April–June; harvest June–October.
- Sowing in situ (outdoors): sow April–August; harvest August–October.
In the fall you can plant some clumps in a pot, cut off the leaves and let them grow indoors for fresh chives in the winter.
Start cultivation (sowing)
Harvesting
JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN
Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
🏠 Pre-sowing indoors / glass
On site (outside)
🏠 Inside
🪟 Greenhouse / conservatory
Outside
🌿 Popular breeds
- Chives Fine
- Coarse chives
- Chinese garlic chives
- Prague BIO
📘 Basic information
- Crop group: Herbs
- Crop family: Onion family
- Height: about 25 cm
- Frost resistant: yes – after the winter your chives will happily shoot back 🙂
- Root system: 7.5–15 cm deep, fine root system in clumps
- Preferred soil: pH 6.0–7.0, well-drained, not too wet soil
🌞💧 Pitch & water
Location: 🌤 moderate sun (sun to partial shade), preferably not bone dry in full midday sun.
Watering: 💧💧 moderate – keep the soil slightly moist, but not soaking wet.
🤝 Good & Bad Neighbors
- Good neighbours: carrots and apples (chives are a good neighbour near fruit trees and root crops).
- Bad neighbors: no particularly bad neighbors known.
🪴 Cultivation method step-by-step
General: You can grow chives in pots, containers, or in the ground. It's a perennial herb that returns every year.
- Sow indoors/glass: sow March–May in pots or seed trays; transplant April–June into pots or open ground; harvest June–October.
- Sowing in situ: sow April–August in rows or in flower/vegetable pots; harvest August–October.
- In autumn you can collect some clumps from the garden, put them in a pot, cut them back and let them grow indoors for a winter harvest.
🌱 Fertilization
Chives require little fertilizer . A base of good vegetable potting soil or some compost is usually sufficient.
❗ Dangers & Concerns
There are few significant pests or diseases affecting chives. To prevent root problems, make sure the soil doesn't get too wet.
🧺 Harvesting & storing
- Prune chives as needed. From about 15 cm in length, you can cut them down to about 5 cm above the ground.
- Always leave some green so that the plant can continue to grow.
- Tip: Stop harvesting about three weeks before the first frost, so the plant can build up enough reserves to get through the winter.
