Common Chives

Common chives are a classic herb, grown for their fine, hollow cylindrical leaves that bring a fresh, mild onion flavour to raw and cooked dishes. The 25 to 30 cm high plants produce charming, purple blooms in late spring. A perfect addition to any herb or flower garden! Sow from late February to June; harvest from late May to late September.

Chives are a tasty and popular perennial herb. They belong to the Allium family, along with garlic, onion and shallot. Chives form clumps of fine, hollow cylindrical stalks (scapes) and leaves. Chive plants are generally grown for two to three years, after which they become less productive and need to be divided.

The fresh, garlicy and slightly spicy taste of chives complements omelettes, quiches and fish dishes and is great to season fresh cheeses. Chives are a must-have in the herb garden... and a delight in the flower garden! Their purplish-pink pompoms are charming with roses. Their oniony aroma will also help repel aphids and prevent black spot disease, making chives a brilliant companion plant.

Harvesting: Chives can be harvested over a long period of time, from late spring to autumn. Simply cut off the stems with scissors at the base of the clump. Regular harvesting encourages the plant to put out new leaves.

Conservation: Chives can be kept for a few days in the refrigerator or for a few months when dried or frozen. Nevertheless, for a fuller aroma they are definitely best eaten fresh!

Good to know: We recommend mulching as this reduces the need to water and weed your plants.

Even if the vegetable garden is first and foremost a place for growing great quality veg, it’s always a good idea to leave a bit of room for flowers. Growing flowers alongside your vegetable plants will make your general gardening experience more enjoyable and is a great way to attract pollinators and repel garden pests! Flowers such as gaillardia, marigolds, zinnias, cosmos or nasturtiums can be sown in and around the rows of vegetables. Herbs such as dill can be very useful also. Bear in mind that some companion plants self-seed easily and can be a bit invasive (borage, chives, lemon balm etc.)

NB. Organic seeds (in French "AB" for "Agriculture Biologique") are produced from plants that aren't treated with phytosanitary products (insecticides, weed killers). The seeds do not undergo post-harvest treatment. They carry the AB label and are approved by Ecocert, an independent structure.