Chives are one of the easiest herbs to grow. All they need is a pot, some well-drained soil, and plenty of sunshine. You can even grow chives indoors on a sunny windowsill. Just make sure to give them a little extra water if the weather is hot and dry.

Chives, Civet, Cive-Garlic or Garlic Chives, is a perennial hardy plant of the Onion family, grown for its leaves, which have a mild flavor, and which are particularly useful for seasoning as they’re useful in salads and sandwiches. Chives are native to Europe, Asia and North America, they are generally grown as an edging plant, and do well in any good, light garden soil suitable for Onions.

Here are a few tips for getting the best results from your chive plants

Growing chives is easy, they’re quite hardy. Chives love full sun, though they will tolerate light shade. They can be sown from spring through to autumn in cool and temperate areas (or all year round in warm climates) and will grow into a 20 – 30 cm dense tufts and produce small oval bulbs and numerous slender leaves. The flowers, usually purple, but also in white, are very pretty and look striking in vintage terracotta pots.

Sowing chives from seed. You can sow chives seeds thinly either directly outdoors or in containers in spring where you want them to grow.

Chives make a good edging plant for the kitchen garden, as once the bulbs are planted they need not be disturbed for three or four years.

The best time to divide the clumps for re-planting is in the early Spring. If desired to grow in any quantity, plant in rows from 15 to 18 inches apart, allowing from 9 to 12 inches between the plants in the rows. When the plants are well established, the leaves may be cut as wanted throughout the season.

Chives like to be in full sun so they get at least six hours of sunlight per day. If you’re growing them indoors, make sure to place them near a sunny window. They also need well-drained soil that’s high in organic matter.

Chive plants are shallow rooted, so they don’t need a deep pot. In fact, it’s better to plant them in a wide, shallow pot that will dry out quickly after watering. Be sure to water your chives regularly, especially during hot, dry weather. Chives are drought tolerant, but they’ll produce more leaves if they’re kept evenly moist.

Once your chives start to flower, cut back on the watering to allow the leaves to toughen up a bit before harvest season. During the growing season, you can clip chives as needed for use in the kitchen. Just snip them with a sharp knife or scissors about ½ inch above ground level. For best flavor, clip them just before using.

You can also let your chives go to seed and harvest the seeds to use in cooking or baking. To do this, allow the flowers to dry on the plant, then rub them between your hands to release the seeds. Once the seeds are released, shake them into a paper bag and store them in a cool, dark place until ready to use.

Chives are one of the easiest herbs you can grow at home. With just a little Sunshine and some well-drained soil, you’ll have fresh chives to clip and use in all your favorite recipes all summer long!