Chives

Plant this perennial herb once and you'll have fresh flavor for years.

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Updated on April 30, 2020

Plant Chives in an Herb Garden

Chives are perennials, which means they come back year after year. Create a garden made up of perennial herbs and enjoy easy-care, fresh flavors for years. Excellent perennial herbs for full sun gardens include sage, thyme, French tarragon, and lavender. Quick-draining soil is essential for these perennial herbs.

Chive Care Must-Knows

Chives grow best in full sun and well-drained soil. Plant them in a raised bed to improve drainage, if needed. They tolerate part shade well and will grow and blossom when they receive at least 6 hours of bright, direct light. One of the easiest herbs to grow, chives slowly increase the size of the initial plants and they self-seed, popping up around the garden. Easy to remove, any unwanted seedlings should be pulled. Deadhead plants just as the blooms begin to fade to prevent chives from self-seeding.

Chives are perennial, and will need to be divided every three or four years in spring right after new leaves emerge. Dig up the entire clump. Using a sharp spade, cut it into three or four divisions. Replant or share the divisions.

Like many herbs, chives have the best flavor when they have slow, compact growth. Soil rich in organic matter usually provides all the nutrients chives require. If the soil is low on organic matter, spread a 2-inch-thick layer of compost over each plant's root zone in early spring.

Their self-seeding habit makes it easy to share chive plants with friends and neighbors. Dig up small plants in spring or summer. Pot them in a simple plastic nursery container you can give away. Exceptionally tough plants, chives tolerate transplanting well. Water deeply after planting and again a few days later.

Harvesting Tips for Chives

Snip chives as needed with a pair of scissors or kitchen shears, cutting stems near soil. Fresh chives pack the greatest onion flavor; add them to dishes just before serving. Break up edible chive blossoms on salads for lively onion flavor, or sprinkle on egg dishes or cream soups as a garnish. Bottle blooms in vinegar for a lovely pink-tinted brew. To preserve chives, chop stems and dry or freeze in ice cubes.

Garden Plans For Chives

Chives Overview

Description	Grown and known for its onion-like taste, chives add fresh flavor to cuisines of all types. Both the foliage and the flowers are edible, but its slender, bright green leaves and purple pom-pom blooms make chives a garden multi-tasker. In addition to planting it in an herb garden, try it in perennial beds or along walkways. Or add it to container gardens where it will produce fresh new foliage from spring to frost.
Genus Name	Allium schoenoprasum
Common Name	Chives
Plant Type	Herb, Perennial
Light	Part Sun, Sun
Height	6 to 12 inches
Width	8 to 12 inches
Flower Color	Blue, Pink
Season Features	Spring Bloom, Summer Bloom
Special Features	Attracts Birds, Fragrance, Good for Containers, Low Maintenance
Zones	10, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9
Propagation	Division, Seed
Problem Solvers	Deer Resistant

Planting Plans Inspired by the White House Kitchen Garden

inspired summer garden plan — Illustration by Michael R. Burns

Grow a 4x12-foot version of the White House Kitchen Garden (designed by Better Homes and Gardens garden editors) on your own south (or east or west) lawn. All you need is a spot that gets six or more hours of sunshine each day.

Download this garden plan!

Classic Herb Garden Plan

Ensure your kitchen is always stocked with fresh herbs with this classic herb garden plan, where ten kinds of hers surround a decorative sundial in a 6-foot-diameter bed.

Click here to get this plan.

Colorful Herb Garden Plan

Get an herb garden that dazzles with this colorful plan, where a 3x8-foot border features foliage with purple, green, and golden hues—including variegated leaves.

Download this garden plan now!

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