How to Grow

From seed

Sow seeds directly in pots or straight into the garden, spacing clumps of seeds approximately 30cm apart or in rows of plants 10cm apart.

Chives grow well in sun or semi-shade and are ideal plants for pot culture

From seedling

Plant in sun or semi-shade.

New plants can be started by dividing clumps if they become overcrowded.

In a pot

Plants prefer a pot.

From Plant

New plants can be started by dividing clumps if they become overcrowded.

Flat-leafed garlic chives (Allium tuberosum) have a mild garlic flavour.

They are very hardy and will tolerate more neglect than chives.

Ready to harvest

Just snip clumps of chives as required.

They will grow back, if given time so are "cut and come again".

Chopped leaves are useful in salads, soups, and egg dishes.

Collect seed

Allow the chive flower heads to dry out on the plant, but don’t leave them on for too long or the seeds will blow away.

You can tell the seeds are ready to harvest when you see black spots inside the flower heads.

If you shake the plant and seeds start to fly out, you know it’s time to collect the chive seeds.

To collect chive seeds, gently shake the flower heads over a container.

You could also clip the flower heads off the plant and drop them into a paper bag.

Then fold over the top of the bag and shake it to release the chive seeds from the flower heads.

Chive seeds are easy to spot and separate from the chaff (the flower pieces and other debris).

Chive seeds are black, and they’re about the size of sesame seeds.

If you want to separate the seeds from the chaff (you don’t need to do this), dump them onto a flat surface, and lightly blow on the pile.

The lighter pieces of chaff will blow away.

Allow chives to dry out complety before storing them.