Caring for chives in the pot

Chives are one of the few herbs that can be cultivated in pots without much effort. The herb makes few demands on location and care. A harvest is possible almost all year round.

Location

Chives do not like direct sun and can be placed in a pot on the windowsill in the second row. A window that faces east or west is also suitable. In winter, the plants should not stand directly in the draft when airing.

substrate

Chives prefer a nutrient-rich soil, which is why commercial vegetable soil is ideal. Alternatively, you can use potting soil that has no artificial fertilizer added.

You can also mix your own substrate. The soil should not only be rich in nutrients, but also store moisture well. In addition, the mixture should be permeable so that the roots are well aerated.

Composition:

• 2 parts vegetable soil or compost
• 1 part garden soil
• 1 part sand
• 1 part lava granules or perlite

Plant

If you buy potted chives in stores, you should always repot them immediately. The reason for this is that the chives were often sown too densely. The soil in the pot cannot retain moisture well and contains hardly any nutrients when the chives are sold.

Instructions for planting:

• chives approx. Place in a bucket of water for 30 minutes
• fill a new pot with drainage made of 2 cm lava granules
• fill in some substrate
• Place the soaked chives in the middle
• fill with substrate and press down
• pour on

Tip: You can put the chives in a large pot. It makes more sense to divide freshly bought plants and plant them in several pots so that they have more space to spread.

Pour

The chive likes a constantly slightly moist substrate, but does not tolerate waterlogging. You can use tap water for watering, which can be calcareous.

Casting instructions:

• Water when the top layer of soil has dried
• Fill coasters with water
• Remove excess water after 30 minutes

Fertilize

A good supply of nutrients in the pot is important for the chives. There are sufficient nutrients in a garden soil, even if it is not fertilized. Nutrients are finite in the pot and you need to fertilize the plants every three weeks from April to September. Use a liquid fertilizer suitable for vegetables and herbs.

Alternatively, you can make your own liquid fertilizer from stinging nettles. Roughly chop the stinging nettles and let them ferment in a bucket of water for several weeks until they are largely decomposed. The resulting liquid manure is diluted with water in a ratio of 1:10 and the chives are poured with it.

Tip: The nettle manure strengthens the leaf structure. As a result, it indirectly has a preventive effect against various pests such as aphids, for which it is no longer so easy to damage the leaves.

pruning

The chives are cut mostly for harvest. Cut the stalks about three inches above the ground. You can always cut off the chives little by little in the portion you need.

The chives only need pruning if they are not harvested continuously. At the latest when the flowers form, it is advisable to cut it back completely. You can let the chives flower, but you shouldn't wait until the seeds are ripe before cutting. This would cost the plant too much energy and it could die.

propagation

Chives can be separated by division or sowing multiply. Chives are cold germs, which is why sowing outdoors in autumn or early spring is ideal. Place the pot outside for a few weeks so that the seeds get a cold stimulus and start to germinate. The chives are also a dark germ and you have to germinate them with approx. Cover 0.5 cm of soil.

Tip: If you want to sow chives in summer, you can put the pot in the fridge for two weeks to get the cold stimulus you need.

It is easier to propagate by dividing, because the chives constantly form small side onions. Plants that are cultivated in pots indoors in winter can be divided all year round. If the pot is outdoors in winter, the division should not take place during the hibernation.

Instructions for sharing:

• Take the chives out of the pot
• shake off some soil
• Divide the root ball with a knife
• Plant divided chives in pots

hibernate

If the chives are outside in winter, you must protect the root ball from frost. To do this, wrap the pot with a jute sack or winter fleece. In addition, you can place the pot on a wooden board, which protects the underside.

Alternatively, you can overwinter the chives in an unheated greenhouse. In winter, don't forget to water on frost-free days. This prevents the small onions from drying out, because it is often the dryness that causes the chives in the pot more trouble than the frost.

diseases and pests

Occasionally it can happen that the chives are attacked by a rust fungus. In this case, carry out a radical cut so that the chives grow back healthy again. Chives in pots are often attacked by aphids. In winter in particular, they can damage plants in heated rooms. If the first insects appear on it, shower the chives regularly and spray the stalks with nettle manure.

In the field, chives are occasionally attacked by the lily beetle (Lilioceris lilii). The harmful insect eats various leek plants. You can only fight the lily beetle by collecting it.

frequently asked Questions