Considering its versatility and how widely-used it is, chives are among those herbs that are pretty easy to grow in garden pots. We use them so often in many of our food preparations that it is only practical when growing chives at home. Not only will you have an all-year round supply (depending on where you have them planted) but also an attractive piece to complement your garden – or window area if you decide to grow them indoors.
Planning to Grow Chives at Home?
Before planting, it’s good to know why you are growing chives in the first place. Doing so will determine where or how you actually cultivate them. For example, you may want to grow three to four large clumps planted in a few small containers or garden pots if you want a season-long supply of chives. For both decorative and practical purposes however, you may plant them individually along the edges of your garden bed.
Pot-Growing Tips
To begin growing chives from seed, pre-moisten your potting mix and fill in a six-inch pot. The soil should not be soggy or too wet. Place the seeds on top of the potting mixture then cover it with a quarter of an inch of pre-moistened soil. Keep the seeds moist until it germinates (two weeks or less).
Growing chives in pots by the window makes perfect sense as it is much closer to the kitchen. Chives will grow happier with six to eight hours of full sun exposure. Placing your chive pot by the south window is ideal for this purpose. Remember to rotate the garden pots for every side to take turns facing the sunlight. Doing so will prevent the long tubular leaves to lean on just one side for an attractive and balanced look. Water them slightly when the soil on top is dry to touch. You only need to feed it twice a month with a low-dose, water-soluble fertiliser. Overfeeding may affect the taste of chives.
Pests and Diseases
Rust is the only disease most likely to affect a chives plant. Other than that, there really isn’t anything to worry about.
Harvesting
With each clump, cut the leaves of the chives plant close to the soil (pot) or ground (garden). Cut leaves from one clump first before moving into the next clump. By doing so, each clump will eventually grow a new crop of leaves in turns.
