Chives are members of the onion family. Most people recognize them as those little, jade-green sprinkles on their baked potatoes in restaurants.
Chives are hardy perennials; when grown outdoors, they die back in the winter, only to reemerge each spring.
Chives can also be readily grown indoors during the winter, when a splotch of green on a sill can lift the spirits of humans confined by dreary weather.
Techniques for Propagating Indoor Chives
Division
Chives and garlic chives are easily propagated from existing clumps. Even in midwinter, one can brush the snow away from a dormant clump (if you can remember where it is) and cut or pull away a division of roots.
Tuck the division into a pot filled with soil, water it, and place it in a warm, bright location. Within a few days, new growth will appear, and soon the chives will be ready to harvest.
Seed Propagation
Chives can be grown indoors from seed, too. A single chive seed will give rise to a clump of grass-like foliage that grows up to 12 inches high and six or more inches wide (garlic chives stems are flat, as opposed to the hollow stems of chives, and the bloom stalks of garlic chives are taller, growing up to 30 inches tall).
Chive seeds are relatively short-lived, so they might be difficult to purchase during the winter. Garlic chive seed must be planted immediately after it is collected, so winter seed propagation is usually not an option for garlic chives.
Chive seed is tiny and black. It can be sown in a pot that has been filled with starter soil to within a quarter-inch from the top. Sprinkle the seeds over the soil’s surface, press in lightly, and water gently. Keep the soil moist, and within a few days the grass-like seedlings will appear.
Harvesting Indoor Chives
Chives can be harvested when they are six to twelve inches tall. Simply use a pair of scissors to trim the foliage down to a height of two to three inches. Old stems become coarse, so even when they’re not being used for cooking, chives should be trimmed from time to time.
Chives and garlic chives can be dried, but much of their flavor will be lost. So potting them up for winter, when they can be fresh-harvested, is a great idea. Chives will add interest to any recipe that would benefit from a mild onion flavor (or a garlic flavor, in the case of garlic chives).
Once winter has passed, chives can be moved outside. They prefer sunny sites and good drainage; while regular watering and an occasional application of fertilizer will promote vigorous growth, chives will thrive with little attention.
Summertime brings an eruption of edible lavender flowers from chives and a profusion of striking white blossoms from garlic chives. If left alone, chives and garlic chives will readily self-sow. Their propensity for reseeding should be kept in mind when chives are placed outdoors. Trimming the flowers before they mature will keep chives from spreading happily through a garden or flower bed.
Wherever chives are planted—whether indoors on a windowsill, in an herb garden, or tucked conveniently into a nook beside a kitchen door—their cheerful presence, hardy constitution, and productive habit will make them favorites for gardeners and chefs alike.
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