Am I Taking Good Care Of My Chives?

Are your chives planted somewhere where they can get at least 6 hours of bright sunlight every day?

Are your chives planted in well-drained soil with lots of organic matter?

Are you watering your plant consistently?

Do you fertilize your chives well at the start of the growing season?

Are you removing spent flowers from the plant?

Have you been dividing chives every 3 to 4 years?

Are you keeping pests away from your chives?

Chives grow best in full sun, though they will tolerate light shade. If you have planted them in full shade they may not grow healthy.

Soil needs to be moist, fertile, rich, and well-draining. Before planting chives, always incorporate 4 to 6 inches of well-composted organic matter. Work compost into the soil to a depth of 6 to 8 inches.

Although chives are drought-tolerant, it’s important to give them consistent watering throughout the growing season for high yields. Moisten the soil thoroughly when watering. Chives’ small bulbs grow near the soil surface, so use a mulch to conserve moisture and keep the weeds down.

Chives are leafy perennials, so for good production, top-dress with a nitrogen-heavy fertilizer in late spring or early summer if your soil is not already nutrient-rich.

After the flowers bloom, be sure to remove them so that the seeds aren’t spread throughout your garden. It can take over your garden fast if the flowers are allowed to develop fully (the flowers scatter the seeds).

You should divide the plants every 3 to 4 years in the spring. Chives are much more productive if divided regularly. Divide them into clumps of at least 10 small bulbs and allow divided plants to grow for several weeks before harvesting.

Good job! You are taking good care of your chives.

Onion fly, thrips, and aphids are the most notable pests on chives. This plant is also susceptible to diseases like bulb rots, white rot, mildew, rust, smut, and fungal leaf spots.