very easy · windowsill
How to grow chives
A tidy perennial clump that comes back year after year, gives a mild onion snip whenever you want it, and flowers a pretty edible purple.
Allium schoenoprasum · Amaryllidaceae
Why bother
Plant once, snip for years. Almost nothing goes wrong with it, which makes it a confidence-builder.
What it needs
- Light
- 4+ hours of sun; copes with light shade.
- Water
- Keep lightly moist. Established clumps are fairly drought-tolerant.
- Soil
- Any general-purpose compost.
- Temperature
- Very hardy, roughly 5-28C.
- Container
- A 18cm pot holds a good clump; divide it every couple of years.
- Time to harvest
- 6-8 weeks from seed; instant if you buy a small plant.
- Best season to start
- Start spring; a hardy perennial that regrows every year.
Step by step
Day 0
Sow or buy
Sow a small pinch per pot, or start from a garden-centre plug for an instant clump.
Weeks 1-6
Grow on
Keep moist and bright; snip nothing until stems are pencil-thick.
Week 8 onward
Snip and repeat
Cut what you need to about 3cm above the compost; it regrows fast.
What usually goes wrong
Clump goes woody and sparse in the middle
Cause: Congested after a couple of years.
Fix: Lift, split into three, and replant the healthy outer pieces.
Tips browning
Cause: Too dry.
Fix: Water more consistently in the growing season.
Grows well beside
Cherry tomato, Parsley
Before you eat anything you grow: be certain of the identification. This guide describes chives specifically — it is not a way to confirm that an unknown plant is safe. Never eat a plant on the strength of an app alone.