Topic: Do chives need care at the end of summer?

[antipodes]

I have two big bunches of chives that have grown on the allotment from the previous owner. I have cut a bit over the weeks, not very much, and they flowered in the spring. Now the flowers are dried out and the plants seem to be growing vigorously.
Do I have to do anything to them at this stage of things? I would like to have some more, if truth be told, but I don't know how to go about that. Should I cut them down before the cold season? Or are they self-maintaining!!! Ah if only everything was like that!

[Robert_Brenchley]

They're self-maintaining; they'll die back at the end of the season, then grow again next year.

[Mrs Ava]

If you want to multiply your chives, dig them up and split them in the autumn.  You could divide one large clump into 4 nice sized clumps, plant, water well and away you go!

[Garjan]

Or you could leave some flowers on the plant to have them pollinated.
Collect the pods when they seem ripe. Put them in a paper bag until they are brittle. Shake the seeds in the bag, blow gently to discard the shells..

Chives can be grown from seed very easily. You can use the stems the same year.

[saddad]

If they have already set seeds you will have lots of baby chives around them next year!
 ;D

[lin]

From my experience you don't have to do anything with chives, they seem very hardy indeed. The same clumps come up year after year for me.

I have split some groups of chives on my plot and have a lot of plants, I don't eat them much even though they are really tasty, but I just love the flowers and they just keep on coming....I love any kind of onion flowers.... I usually leave two or three onions or leeks to go to seed just for the flower heads!
Lin

[antipodes]

oops! No, I dodn't remove the flowers at all, they each have about 10 perfectly dry seed heads on them!!! ha ha I will start a chive farm next year! Or maybe just pot them up and give them away.

[Mrs Ava]

I do the same Lin, every year leave at least 2 onions, so long as they haven't rotted, and a couple of leeks.

[Deb P]

Mine were grown from one clump I split up last year, now have 10 large clumps which I keep deadheading and are still producing flowers. I shall give them a haircut after the Open Day on Sunday and split them up again!