How do you keep chives growing in the summer?

Cut back the existing tired foliage, and water well. Site them somewhere well-lit under cover – a cold frame, greenhouse, hoop house or even a sunny windowsill indoors are all fine. Keep an eye on their moisture levels, and make sure not to over-water. Your chives will soon sprout new leaves.

Can chives grow in summer?

Chives are considered a cool-season crop, which means that they grow best in the spring and fall. The harsher temperatures of summer usually cause them to go dormant until cool weather arrives again.

How do you care for outdoor chives?

Sun: Chives thrive in full sun, but they will grow almost anywhere. If you are growing chives indoors, place them in a south-facing window or a spot that receives at least six hours of sunshine. Water: Keep the soil moist. Chives grow best when watered frequently, as long as there is proper soil drainage.

Will chives grow back after cutting?

You can cut chives back to the ground at any time, and they will grow back. Use this method either in late fall once the plant goes dormant, or to revitalize overgrown chives anytime.

Should I cut the flowers off my chives?

Harvesting and Storing Chives

In the first year, harvest 3-4 times. Thereafter, cut the chive back monthly. Cut the flower stalks off at the soil line to prevent the plant from forming seeds. This will encourage the plant to keep producing leaves, and you can utilize the flowers as garnish or tossed into salads.

How to Harvest

How long do chive plants last?

Once chives are planted, they usually continue to grow year after year. If you keep your chives in the ground, the bunches should be separated and respaced every three or four years.

Do you cut chives back after flowering?

Is it necessary to prune chives? Yes, I highly recommend dead-heading your chive blossoms once they've finished blooming and are starting to dry out.

Can you grow chives all year round?

Grow chives in moist but well-drained soil or compost in full sun to partial shade. Harvest the leaves and flowers as and when you need to. Chives are perennial so will come back year after year. They grow well in pots but are best suited to growing in the ground.

How do you cut chives without killing the plant?

Never pull the chive leaves out of the soil, this will kill them. Cut as close as you can to the ground, using sharp cutting tools. Leave around 2-4 inches (5-10 cm) from the base of the plant. Harvest in a scattered manner, leaving around 2″ (5 cm) in sections, otherwise your chives won't grow and have bare patches.

What do you do with chives when they flower?

The chive blossoms are most often used as a pretty garnish for salads and crudite platters but can be added to soups, sauces, and potato and egg dishes. Chive blossoms are also an ideal ingredient to flavor vinegar.

Why are my chives turning brown?

Chive plant turning brown

Chive plant turns brown when the temperature is too low. Chive plants also die back/turn brown when they are overwatered. Botrytis blight causes brown spots on the leaves of Chive plants.

How do you care for potted chives?

Some gardeners opt to let one pot of chives go to flower, as the plant produces attractive round, purple flower heads that are also edible. Keep chive plants moist, but not waterlogged, and fertilize with a liquid fertilizer diluted to half strength every four to six weeks.

Do chives multiply?

Chives will multiply if flowers are allowed to seed out. Mature plants can be divided and transplanted every few years.

Will chives flower twice?

It's time to trim the flowering part when the chives have bloomed. By now, the first half of the tuft has grown nicely. This half will start to bloom later in summer and then I'll repeat the cycle. Very handy!

When should you cut chives?

Harvests begin as soon as those early leaves are 3 to 4 inches long. If the plant is treated properly throughout the growing season, the chive harvest continues. You'll be able to pick until the leaves succumb to fall's first frost.

Are chive buds edible?

Chive blossoms can be tossed in a salad or, more commonly, used to garnish a dish. Chinese chives (or garlic chives) produce edible white flowers with a garlic flavor that is stronger than the leaf itself. The stalks with unopened buds can be chopped and stir-fried, similar to asparagus.

Why are my chives falling over?

Once again, temperatures that are too high or too low (freezing or frost) makes your chives limp or floppy. At very low temperatures, your chives will become dormant. In case of unfavorable climatic conditions, bring the outdoor pots of chives indoors. Set them there until the unfavorable climatic conditions are over.

Why are my chives turning yellow?

When a chives plant runs out of growing space or some of its leaves get old, those leaves may yellow at the tips and die. Harvest those leaves first. If leaves turn entirely yellow, cut them off and use them for compost.

What do you do with too many chives?

Dry for future use – chives dehydrate easily and can be used throughout the year in soups and stews, eggs and other savory dishes. Just make sure to dry them slowly on low heat to keep them from turning brown. Join a produce exchange – bring your leftovers to a local produce exchange so others can enjoy them too.

Do chives go dormant?

If you decide to leave them outdoors and temps hit rock bottom, the chives will just go to sleep and lie dormant until they poke their skinny heads back up in spring.

How often should chives be watered?

Chives. For chives it is best to give the herb a thorough watering once or twice a week. You should then let the soil around the herb dry completely before you water again.

Can you split a chive plant?

Sometimes you can separate small clumps of chives into pieces using just your hands, but a hand fork (or even better, two hand forks placed back-to-back and forced apart) makes the job easier. Replant one of the clusters of bulbs back into your garden to die back and rest over winter.