Chive Seeds

West Coast Seeds, Chives Seeds - Additional Information

How to Grow Chives

Planting Schedule:
Begin your chive cultivation journey indoors from late winter to mid-spring. Transition to transplanting or direct sowing outdoors once late spring arrives, and the soil temperature reaches a cozy 19°C (65°F), perfect for seed germination.


Seed Starting:
Plant seeds between 5mm and 1cm deep, ensuring the soil remains moist for germination. A 72-cell plug tray with 10-15 seeds per cell, supplemented with bottom heat, works wonders for those starting seeds indoors.

Once the outdoor soil warms, transplant your seedlings or directly sow them into your garden or containers, spacing the clumps 15cm (6 inches) apart.


Growing:
Once the plants spread up to 30cm (12 inches) wide, divide and replant them to maintain a distance of 30cm between each clump or allocate them to containers. Encourage leaf production by removing flower stems early.

Ensure even watering throughout their growth. For those desiring fresh chives in winter, uproot a small clump in fall post-foliage dieback, pot it in a loamy mix, and place it on a bright windowsill indoors.


Harvesting:
Harvest chives by cutting the entire plant to 4cm (about 2 inches) from the ground level. Scissors are your best tool for this task, allowing you to harvest precisely what you need.

Remember, chives are best enjoyed fresh; their delicate flavour must lend itself better to dehydration. Don't overlook the flowers – they're a delightful addition to salads and can beautifully infuse vinegar with their flavour.

Chives Pests & Diseases

Onion Fly
The onion fly resembles a common housefly and targets chive plants by laying eggs at the base, which then hatch into damaging larvae.

Rotate crops annually to disrupt the life cycle of the onion fly. Use floating row covers to protect plants from egg-laying flies.

If an infestation occurs, remove and destroy affected plants to prevent spread. Then, introduce beneficial nematodes into the soil to target and eliminate larvae.


Thrips
These tiny insects feed on chive leaves, causing silvering, distortion, and potential virus transmission.

Use reflective mulch to deter thrips from landing on plants. Apply insecticidal soap or neem oil to affected plants, targeting the underside of leaves where thrips congregate. Encourage natural predators like ladybugs and lacewings.


Downy Mildew
This fungal disease presents as yellow patches on leaves, which become covered in a fluffy, greyish mould on the underside.

Do not overcrowd plants to ensure good air circulation around them. Water plants at the base to avoid wetting foliage.

At the first sign of downy mildew, remove and destroy affected leaves. Then, apply fungicides labelled for downy mildew, following the manufacturer's instructions.