Where will I grow my chives?Chives are among the easiest and most rewarding herbs for the home gardener to grow. They are hardy and thrive in a variety of climates. In wild habitats, they manage to survive in sandy pockets of soil accumulated among rocks and on windblown mountainsides. Given their druthers, garden-variety chives prefer fertile, well-drained soil with a pH between 6 and 7. They are fond of sun but will get by with partial shade. When it comes right down to it, chives will forgive imperfect conditions and still reward you with a long season of delicious harvests.
Before you head out to the nursery or garden center to purchase your young chive plants, ask yourself these questions:
Where will I grow my chives?
Do I have a suitable piece of garden space?
Do I want to be able to move the plants inside or outdoors seasonally?
How many chive plants do I want, and how big do I want them to be?
How much work am I willing to invest at the outset?
What kind of chives do I want to grow?
Anybody can grow chives, but some methods of growing these tasty herbs are more challenging than others. The easiest way to grow them is to buy healthy plants from a nursery or garden center. When you’re shopping for plants, look for those that are upright and brightly colored. Dull, drooping leaves are not a sign of health. Look at the bottom of the pot. Are lots of roots growing out of the drainage holes? This means that the plant has been confined to a small pot for too long, and its roots have outgrown it. Avoid these plants if you can. Ask nursery workers if the plants have been hardened off, which means they have been exposed to outdoor conditions enough to be ready for planting in your garden. Once you’ve made your decision and purchased some chives, they’ll be ready to transplant to your garden (see pages 6–8 for details).
Starting chives from seeds is a bit more challenging than growing purchased plants. Though your total monetary investment will be modest, you will still need soil, planting trays or pots, covers, and seeds. Chives grown from seed require patience because it will take them a couple of years to grow into nice, lush plants.