A Beginners Guide on Growing Chives Indoors

Chives are one of the best herbs you can grow indoors. They are easy to take care of, they don’t need a lot of light, and they can provide you with fresh herbs all year round! They’re also a great way to get started with indoor gardening if you’re a beginner.

In this blog post, you will be shown how easy it is to start growing chives indoors! You will be given a step-by-step guide on how to get started, as well as some tips on how to take care of your chives once they’re growing.

So if you’re looking for an easy and rewarding indoor gardening project, read on to find out how to grow chives indoors!

Why Grow Chives Indoors?

As a natural repellent, chives help to protect gardens from aphids, mites, Japanese beetles, and rabbits. These herbs use their strong aroma to keep these bugs and pests at bay. The smell of chives are very similar to that of garlic and onions since they are closely related to these herbs. As with onions, chives are in many dishes. Growing your own chives indoors is an easy starter herb. Not only are they easy to grow but having them in the comfort of your own kitchen would be convenient while you are cooking up some delicious meals!

The Benefits of Growing Chives Indoors

A major advantage of growing herbs indoors is that you don’t have to worry about bugs or pests. Chives are naturally pest-repellent due to their odor, which is an added benefit of growing chives indoors.

With other herbs and even vegetables, they make great companion plants, especially to parsley, cilantro, tarragon, and basil. However, because chives are alliums they grow the best with their relatives such as onions, leeks, green onions and garlic. Ultimately, they will help you maintain your garden and create an insect and pest free environment. As stated previously, beginners will also find them relatively easy to grow. To add to the benefits, They typically take about 2 weeks to germinate and to start seeing sprouts. After that, all you need to do is water your soil and wait to see your garden cultivate on its own. 

Fun Fact! Chives are in many commercial bug repellents and candles due to their aroma!

What You Need to Get Started

Here’s a quick guide on starting a chive garden!

Ideally, you want well-draining soil that is rich in nutrients for indoor herb gardens. By doing so, you can ensure that your garden thrives and remains healthy. A small pot will also be needed for planting your herb. However, if you are looking to grow a large amount of chives you will need a larger pot that will be appropriate for the amount you would like to produce. 

Most importantly you will need a good source of sunlight. Chives grow at their best when they can get full sunlight exposure for at least 6 to 8 hours a day. However, they can also grow in low light conditions as long as they are getting the recommended amount of sunlight per day. That being said, If you have a kitchen window or grow lights providing your chives with the light it needs, you are already one step closer to cultivating your very own thriving chive garden!

How to Grow Chives Indoors – A Step By Step Guide

Step 1: Germinate your seeds in a damp paper towel and place the in a zip-lock bag (if you are germinating different types seeds at the same time make to label your bags)

When starting my indoor bunching onion garden, I germinated my seeds in a damp paper towel. To do this, just wet two pieces of paper towel. Place the seeds on one individual paper towel and spread them out evenly. Then lay the second damp paper towel on top of the seeds. Once that is done, you can begin to gently fold the paper towels together and place them in a zip-lock bag. And that’s it! Wait 2 to 3 days and you should see your seeds starting to sprout!

Step 2: Wait a few days for your seeds to sprout a radical 

Radicals are the little white tails that have sprouted from the seed. This is the early stages of the germination process and sign you have goods seedlings to promote a healthy garden.

Step 3: Fill your pot with well-draining, nutrient packed soil

Step 4: Create small holes and plant the seeds about 2 inches apart and no more than ¼ inch deep. 

Step 5: Cover with a thin layer of soil.

Step 6: Watering your soil until it is completely moist will insure your herbs growth

Step 7: Wait to see your chives emerge from the soil( this should take a week or two)

Step 8: Once you begin to see sprouts coming from the soil place your pot in the sunlight for about 6 to 8 hours a day 

Step 9: Tend to your chives by watering them and watch them thrive!

Tips for Successful Indoor Chive Growing

It is true that chives can be good companion plants to other herbs and vegetables, but some of them are not compatible, such as asparagus, beans, peas, and spinach, which have difficulty growing when planted near chives.

Allowing your chives to flower and develop fully will cause them to produce their own seeds!

If you have planted your chives in the same pot as other herbs, your garden will become overrun by chives! So,  If you don’t want your garden to produce more chives due to the fallen seedlings, you will have to go through the tedious work and pick out each seed from the soil.

Make Sure to Water Your Chives

Water your soil every two to three days depending on how dry the soil gets. Wait to water your chives until the soil is completely dry on the surface. Doing so insures that you aren’t water-lodging your herbs.

What do you do if your chives are turning yellow?

If your chives are turning yellow that tends to be a sign that they need more space, being over-watered, or aging. Chives will start yellowing at the tips which then spreads to the base when the chives are taking up each others space. To treat this you will need to prune or separate the chives to promote their growth and life span. To prevent them from yellowing and wilting due to overwatering you may need to simply let the soil dry out for a longer time period before rewatering. 

Are your chives starting to brown?

If your chives are browning that is a tell sign that they are getting sun or heat damage. Believe it or not chives can brown from temperatures not only being too hot but also too low. To prevent this, place your herb in the shade more often to nurse them back to health. They may also benefit from a good trim as well. 

Enjoy your fresh chives!

Now that You have started your own indoor chive garden you can enjoy the benefits from growing them. 

Throughout the year, you can add chives to a variety of savory dishes, such as soups, dips, stews, mashed potatoes, fish and seafood dishes, and omelets. In order to enjoy the full flavor of chives, using fresh chives would be the best choice. You will be able to enjoy their milder flavor when used at their peak of freshness.

As a good tip, Heat destroys their delicate flavor, so add chives to dishes you make at the last minute. You can maximize their flavor by slicing, chopping, or snipping them thinly with kitchen shears before using them. Furthermore, you can harvest and dry your chives for any future use.

If you want to keep them from turning brown, make sure your chives are drying slowly on low heat. Some suggest storing the ends of the cut chives in the refrigerator for a few days if you aren’t using them right away. Alternatively, chopping chives and freezing them in freezer bags will also extend their freshness. I would recommend this cutting board if you were looking for something a little more fun to work with!

To add some fun, produce exchange is a excellent way to use up any leftovers so that others can enjoy your homegrown chives!