Diners find chives chipped on baked potatoes, sauteed in stir-
fries or sizzled on
steaks. But don’t reserve chives’ delicate flavor for fine
dining. Use them in your
kitchen, fresh from your fall herb garden.

Chives are perennial plants that belong to the onion family.
They are grown throughout
most of North America and will thrive in all of Georgia. The
small, bulbous plants grow in
clumps eight to 12 inches high. Their attractive violet-colored
flowers appear in May.

Common cultivars in Georgia gardens are:

• Common Chives – Grass-like herb with mild
  onion flavor. Excellent to
  grow indoors over winter.
• Garlic Chives – Broader leaved than
  common chives, with a flavor midway
  between garlic and onion.

The plants are usually propagated by dividing the clumps,
keeping four to six bulblets
per clump. Plant them the same way you plant onion transplants.
They can be divided in the
fall or early spring. Divide clumps every two to three years to
prevent overcrowding.
Chives may also be started with seeds planted in the early
spring.

The tender leaves or the entire plant may be harvested any
time during the season. The
bulbs are not used. Some gardeners dry the leaves; others chop
them up fresh and keep them
in the freezer for winter use. Many gardeners dig a clump of
chives in late fall, place
them in a pot and bring them inside for fresh use during the
winter.

Garlic chives resemble the common chives in clump-growth
habit, but have flat, dark
green leaves and white flowers. The leaf portion of the garlic
chives is prized as a fresh
product.

Constant harvesting of the leaves is essential to keep a
healthy, vigorous plant. Every
third year, dig and divide the clumps and plant them in another
part of the garden. They
are easily grown in gardens and do exceptionally well in pots or
in other containers.