Ah, chives! They’re wonderful in a bowl of fromage blanc with shallots to accompany roasted potatoes and Munster, or simply with a few raw carrots and florets of cauliflower… You may even be the type to snip off a fresh shoot as you pass, to pop it in your mouth and whet your appetite. But you must first master sowing chives!
When to Sow Chives
Chives are sown directly in the ground in March and April, and preferably not later unless you intend to keep them in pots, in which case May can still work.
After April, and for outdoor sowing, wait until early August to sow chives.
Seedings started indoors and in pots should be set out in October and November, which doesn’t prevent you from nibbling on the shoots in the meantime!
How to Sow Chives
In the Ground
Start by thoroughly loosening your soil; some would tell you it should have the texture of “couscous” when you grab a handful. Be sure to weed well to remove any weeds, because chives don’t enjoy competition, especially at sowing time.
Your chive seeds should then be sown in rows that you space at least 20 cm apart (it may seem wide while sowing, but it’s important to follow this spacing rule) and covered with a thin layer of fine potting soil fewer than one centimeter deep.
Water everything, taking care that the soil stays moist throughout until your chives reach about 10 cm tall.
In a Seed Tray or Pot
To sow chives in a pot, you’ll need good potting soil. Chives can be a bit finicky about germination, so this might be the moment to use seed-starting mix. Otherwise, choose a high-quality horticultural potting mix and blend it with one third sand to ensure good drainage.
Place gravel or clay pellets on 2–3 cm (about 0.8–1.2 inches) at the bottom of your pot and tamp it down by hand before spreading your chive seeds as evenly as possible. Then cover with a thin layer of potting soil that you lightly press before watering and placing in a bright spot. Direct sun isn’t necessarily bad, but it can dry out the very small amount of soil covering the seeds if you don’t water regularly.
If the final destination for your chive sowing is to stay in a pot, choose a pot of a good size, namely at least 6 inches (15 cm) in diameter with adequate depth.
Planting Chive Seedlings
The vigor of a chive plant grows with time. Initially, it produces very fine, airy stems that resemble hair more than a culinary herb, but chives strengthen as the seasons pass.
In the meantime, when transplanting into the ground if you’re not keeping it in a pot, you’ll need to handle it gently to avoid damaging it.
Over time, and once your chive clump has reached a good size, typically after about two years, you can lift part of the clump in spring with a spade. No more sowing—the multiplication becomes even faster!
How to Grow Your Own Chive Seeds
Getting your own chive seeds is not complicated. Let several flowering stalks rise to bloom, preferably a dozen or so to ensure pollination, and let them fully unfold.
The flowers will then fade and the stalks will harden, and that will be the moment to harvest the seeds. Black and relatively small, the seeds can easily fall to the ground if the wind kicks up, so stay attentive!
by Julie Soucail
What could be more rewarding than tasting a vegetable you grew entirely yourself? And what if you took it a step further by also learning how to harvest and store the seeds from your own crops?
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