Growing chives is very fulfilling – not only do chives taste good, but they also grow well right from the early spring. Harvesting chives correctly and knowing when to harvest, how and how much to cut is very important to avoid killing your chives. In this post, you will learn how to harvest chives without killing the plant, how to harvest to encourage further growth, when and how much you can harvest, which tools to use to prune chives and much more. So, let’s start!
Why harvest chives?
Harvesting the herb benefits not only the plant itself, but is also great for you to add to dishes and make spices.
- Harvesting the herb encourages the growth of new, vigorous tender leaves.
- Pruning keeps the plant in proper shape and limits overcrowding or overgrowth.
- As chives grow aggressively, harvesting is crucial to control their growth.
When should you harvest chives?
You can harvest chives from early spring and before the beginning of frost in mid to late autumn. You can start harvesting chives after 60 days if you grow chives from seeds (but make sure that chives are at least 6 inches (15 cm) high. If you grow them indoors, you can harvest all year round. Bring a clump from the garden and place it in a pot.
When the chives are one to two years old, you can harvest the herb every month. This practice keeps the spice in excellent growing conditions. If you transplant your chives, wait for around 30 to harvest your chives (but make sure it’s at least 6″ high). Chives are perennials, so they regrow every year. Every 3-4 years, you will need to divide the clumps.
How to harvest chives?
To start harvesting your chives, look out for chives that are 7 to 10 inches (18-25 cm) high. Please remember – you must never pull chives from the ground, as they won’t grow anymore after this. This will kill them.
The direct and more straightforward method of harvesting chives is with kitchen scissors or herb scissors like this. Just grab the leaves in your hand and cut them close to the ground. However, leave around 2-3 inches (5-8 cm) of leaves from the ground, to allow them to grow again.
Also, make sure to leave around 2″ (5 cm) in sections, collecting only 3-4 leaves in a section. Doing this will prevent bare patches and chives will continue to grow. This will prevent leaving any stalks behind, that will later turn brown and dry anyways.
Ensure the kitchen shears are clean and sharp to avoid the spread of fungal and bacterial diseases. Garden snips and bonsai shears are also good to use for harvesting chives in your garden. Sharp cuts at the base of the plant when harvesting are crucial.
Keep the harvested leaves in a cool and dry place to keep them fresh for a more extended period. You can also store them in a herb keeper (a special container to preserve freshness).
Start cutting off freshly grown chives from late March and onward because they start actively growing in early spring. However, it can take longer if it’s a new plant. It usually takes 30 to 80 days when grown from seeds or root divisions.
- Always prune the herb early in the morning to avoid damage to the herb due to heat stress.
- Start cutting chive leaves from the outer region of the plant and then cut off inside leaves.
- When you grow chives from seeds instead of bulbs, then give the herb enough time to establish itself in the soil.
If you are growing chives indoors, or want a fresh supply of chives in winter, it’s totally possible. Indoor potted chives will continue to grow in winter indoors, as long as temperatures and light are sufficient (full-spectrum grow lights can help with this). If you have chives outdoors, you can divide a clump and pot it, and bring that pot indoors for a winter supply.
How to harvest chive flowers?
Chive flowers are harvested either to get seeds for future propagation, or to maintain the aroma and taste of actual leaves. Once the flowers emerge, the leaves might lose their aroma and taste because they suck most of the chives’ nutrients.
However, avoid harvesting blooming chive stalks for cooking. That’s because it becomes thick, rough, as well as doesn’t have good taste. The thickness helps the stalk to support the weight of a flower, but the taste is of course compromised.
You can also harvest the actual flowers – use sharp scissors or garden snips. Always make sure to cut at the base of the stem. Otherwise, a bald stem will turn thick, brown, and unappealing.
How often can you harvest chives?
Chives are fast and robustly growing herbs.
Newly transplanted chives can be harvested every three to four months. This means you can harvest the fresh chives 3 to 4 times during the first year. Two to three-year-old chives can be harvested every month to maintain their shape and vigor for growth and development.
Chive harvesting equipment
I recommend using the best quality scissors or opt for kitchen shears or garden snips. Sharp cutting tools make the harvesting process fast and reliable, as well as limit the chances of the spread of diseases.
How to harvest chives for regrowth?
To harvest chives for regrowth, make sure to only harvest chives that are at least 6 inches (15 cm) long and always cut close to the base of leaves, only leaving around 3 inches (8 cm). Only harvesting when chives have had some time to grow is a way to go.
Cutting chives at the right time is very crucial for proper growth and development. This practice is beneficial for promoting the good health of the herb. Secondly, it promotes fresh and vigorous growth. You can easily control the size and shape of the herb. Pruning chives allows fresh air to flow into the foliage section. Moreover, light can easily penetrate deeper into the soil, thus preventing rotting and other diseases. Prune before flowering for the best taste.
What are ideal growing conditions for active chive growth?
When the following environmental conditions are provided, chives will grow well even after harvesting.
- Light – Partial shade or full sun, but can even adapt to low light. Avoid north facing windows, or use artificial grow lights for indoors chive pots.
- Soil – High standard potting soil and good drainage (rich soil preferred). Pots must have drainage holes
- Fertility – light to medium fertile soil. You can also fertilize the second season if grown from seeds.
- pH- 5.8 to 7.0
- Temperature – Cool to warm (60-70 degrees F (15.5-21 C)). Warm room temperatures for indoors chive pots.
- Moisture – Keep the soil moist, don’t let the soil dry out, but don’t keep it too wet either
- Plant spacing – 15 to 24 inches of row-to-row distance.
- Harvesting frequency – every 2 to 3 weeks
When not to cut chives?
- Do not cut the chives before they attain the height of at least 6 to 10 inches (15-25 cm).
- Cut to the base with sharp scissors or pruners.
- When growing chives from seeds, avoid cutting them for the first 60 days. Chives take at least 60 days to mature from seeds.
- Wait at least 30 days when you grow the herb from cuttings, before you start harvesting.
- Do not cut chives during freezing weather conditions or frost. Frost might shock the plant, and the herb may die in severe conditions. The last harvest of the year should be before the first frost. Don’t harvest again until early spring. In spring, you can start harvesting as soon as it grows to at least 6″ (15 cm).
How to harvest chive seeds?
Select mature chive flowers to harvest the seeds. Flowers with an off-white hue are ripe, while light pink flowers are not.
Shake the flower ball into the container or bottle using a bottle or a plastic plate. To grow fresh chives, it’s better to use seeds from the same season. You might also save the seeds for the next growing season. But avoid keeping seeds for more than 1 season, they might lose their viability.
How to harvest chives from an aerogarden?
Aerogarden is a high-tech, climate-controlled indoor greenhouse. It contains everything, such as light, water, and nutrients that a plant needs for growth and propagation.
To harvest chives from an aerogarden you should:
- Cut off the outer giant leaves first with sharp herb shears/scissors.
- Keep in mind to cut the leaves out in total length, not just the tips.
- You can cut the stems as low as possible, leaving 2″ in height. The herb will regrow from its newly formed bulbs.
- Leave smaller inner leaves to grow until the plant pot reaches its maximum age.
- Only collect 2-3 chive leaves from one side, to avoid creating bare patches on the plant.
How to cut chives to promote growth?
Sometimes I left my chives unchecked or unnoticed for a month or two due to a busy schedule. In that case, I have seen some leaves turn yellow, or brown and dead.
To restore the herb or to promote growth in chives, and cut off all the yellow and dry leaves deep down to the herb’s base. Prune and harvest regularly to promote your chives to grow even more. Just never pull chives from the ground or take entire clumps – this not only won’t promote growth, but it will stop future growth altogether. You will only need to divide clumps every 3-4 years.
Pruning will ensure the new scapes start growing from the base section. Don’t be afraid to harvest – regular pruning will actually promote further growth. Just never prune when seedlings are still small or when leaves are under 6-7″ (15-25 cm) high. Cutting mature chives every month gives a bushier look to your herb.
How do you know when chives are ready to harvest?
Chives are fast-growing herbs. When you grow chives from seeds, they 2-4 weeks to germinate and around 2-3 months to mature. You can harvest the seeded chives after 60 days if they grow well. Ensure that the virgin herb contains at least 4 to 5 leaves and it had attained the average height of 10″ (25cm).
Transplanted chives mature within 30 days. You can harvest them after a month, if once again, conditions are favorable. Do not harvest chives more than 2-3 times a year (max 4 times for older, established chives). It damages the herb. For the chives that are 1 to 3 years old, you can harvest them every 30 days to maintain a healthier herb. However, avoid harvesting from mid fall to early spring.
If your chive seeds are not germinating, please see this post for more information (new tab).
How to store harvested chives?
Ensure the harvested chives reach the market or your kitchen table within 24 hours, because chives are highly perishable. After 24 hours, fresh chives lose their crispness and elegant spicy flavor.
Is there any method to extend the shelf life of the herb? Yes. Storing chives in refrigerated conditions increase the shelf life of harvested chives to up to 48 hours. Furthermore, keeping chives at 90 to 95 relative humidity and 34 degrees Fahrenheit increases the shelf life of chives to up to 14 days. You can also use a herb storage container like this, that keeps herbs fresh for much longer due to air circulation and water in the container to keep herbs hydrated.
Drying chives might not be the best idea, because they lose flavor rather quickly. Instead, use fresh or freeze instead.
Conclusion – how to harvest chives correctly to promote future growth
Chives are perennials, so if you grow them from seeds, they will be lazy the first year. Avoid pruning your chives much if at all during the first year. If however it grows vigorously, you can harvest it 1-2 times. Make sure to follow the guidelines and harvest your chives correctly to avoid killing them.
Well-looked after chives will grow well following years. However, some chive growers prefer growing new plants every year or two. With time, you will learn all the tricks. If you grow chives outdoors, always grow them 12″ (30 cm) apart, as they grow in clumps.
- Never pull the chive leaves out of the soil, this will kill them.
- Cut as close as you can to the ground, using sharp cutting tools. Leave around 2-4 inches (5-10 cm) from the base of the plant.
- Harvest in a scattered manner, leaving around 2″ (5 cm) in sections, otherwise your chives won’t grow and have bare patches.
- Don’t cut flower stalks for consumption, as stalks become thick and fibrous, losing their tenderness and flavor.
- Never harvest chives that have not reached at least 6″ (15 cm).
- Only harvest chives between the months of March-September or before the first frost.
- Use harvested chives as soon as you can, or store properly in a fridge/dehydrate/freeze for future use.
That’s all! Chives are very hard and easy to grow, and you can grow them both indoors in pots and outdoors. Every few years, divide clumps and plant them separately, for new plants. Don’t be afraid to harvest chives either, because this makes them grow more and more.
Thank you for reading this post on harvesting chives correctly! If you would like to learn more about caring for chives, please see this page.