Click Here to go to our cookbook chapter on herbs. Chives are a hardy perennial, draught tolerant, easy to grow and once established in the garden will do you well for years. The best growing environment for this herb is full sun in a fairly rich, moist soil, which is high in organic matter, and has a pH of 6 to 8. Chives will, however, tolerate partial shade and most soil types. Fertilize several times during the growing season and keep well watered and weeded.
Chive seed germinates easily, but slowly.
In four to six weeks, the young plants can be planted outdoors, preferably after all danger of frost is past. Chives can also be direct seeded outside when the soil is warm, but then few if any leaves should be harvested that first year. You can propagate this herb by simply dividing large clumps into smaller clumps of about 5 bulbs each at any time during the growing season. All plantings should be divided every two to three years to prevent over-crowding. Space plants 4 to 15 inches apart in rows.