Chives

Growing Tips: Chives

Quick Reference:

Plant seed 1/8 inch deep spaced 3/4 to 1 inch apart. Germination: 10 to 15 days. Spacing between plants in the garden, 6 to 8 inches. Shallow planting provides warmer soil but soil MUST be kept moist at all times until plants emerge.
When and where to plant:

Chives are a very easy to grow hardy perennial that winters-over almost everywhere in Alaska. Plant seed outdoors as soon as the soil has been prepared and has warmed in the spring. Choose a sunny location that has rich, moist, well drained soil. Cultivate, enrich with plant food and organic matter. Smooth the soil surface, plant seed, firm soil over seed and keep soil moist until seedlings emerge. May be started indoors 4 to 5 weeks before the last frost, transplants easily.

Care:

Keep soil moist, weed free and apply plant food twice during the summer. Clumps of chive plants may be transplanted to pots in the fall and grown indoors on a sunny windowsill during the winter.

Harvest:

Fresh leaves may be cut for flavoring at any time, plants can be clipped almost continuously.