Garlic Chive Plant Care

Garlic chives (Allium tuberosum) lends a tangy, garlicky flavor to soups and salads. Native to Southeastern Asia, it has naturalized in some parts of Europe and North America, in some cases to the point of invasiveness. While a traditional herb garden plant, you can also grow it as an ornamental -- its white, violet-scented blooms attract butterflies and bees. The herb is easy to grow, but it still needs some basic care.

Garlic chives grows in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 3 through 8, but its leaves die back to the ground in winter in colder regions and reappear in early spring. Unlike common chives (Allium schoenoprasum), which grow in USDA zones 4 through 8, garlic chives produce clumps of flat, grassy leaves instead of hollow, tubular spears.

The only steadfast "rule" about growing garlic chives is that it will not tolerate complete shade. Otherwise, it thrives in full sun or partial shade in sandy, loamy or heavy soil of any pH as long as there is good drainage. The plant is also drought-resistant, but prefers soil that's dry or has medium moisture, which you can achieve with weekly watering if it hasn't rained significantly.

To help conserve water and minimize weeds, spread a 1- to 2-inch layer of compost at the base of each garlic chive plant in spring, lightly tamping down the material with gloved hands. Fertilizing garlic chives isn’t usually necessary, but if you're using a lot of leaves during the season, apply 2 or 3 tablespoons of an organic 5-10-5 slow-release fertilizer once each spring to encourage robust growth. Work the fertilizer into the top few inches of soil and water the area well. Try to keep the fertilizer off the garlic chives' leaves.

Every three or four years, divide garlic chive clumps in early spring. To do this, first water the soil so that roots will take up water. This will make it easier to lift plants out of the ground and also help new divisions withstand separation from "mother" plants. A few hours later, loosen the soil around each garlic chives clump and carefully lift from the back with a digging fork. Hold the clump about 12 inches in the air and then let it fall to the ground. Usually, the clump will break apart into two or three plants. If not, gently pull them apart with your fingers. Plant new divisions 1/2 inch deeper than the parent was planted and 6 to 12 inches apart and water lightly. To prevent new plants from spreading aggressively, deadhead the flowers before they go to seed.

Garlic chive leaves are ready to harvest six weeks after starting plants from seed, or as soon as enough spring growth appears in established plants. Plan to harvest the herb when you need it because the leaves do not keep their color or flavor when dried. Use clean kitchen scissors to trim off the leaves you need, cutting them at the base. Rinse the leaves before you use them. You can freeze the leaves for later use.