Garlic chives

Planting garlic chives

Sow indoors 6 to 8 weeks before the last frost or direct sow in spring. Established clumps divide easily in spring or fall.

Planting details

• Spacing: 6 to 12 inches per clump
• Flowers appear in late summer, later than common chives
• Deadhead before seeds drop; it self-sows aggressively

Growing requirements

Garlic chives take full sun to light shade and ordinary, well-drained soil. Once established they handle drought and come back bigger each year.

Harvesting and care

Snip leaves an inch or two above the soil like regular chives; the flavor is garlicky rather than oniony. Remove spent flower stalks before the black seeds ripen and scatter.

Common mistakes

• Letting seed heads ripen, which makes the plant invasive in beds
• Expecting a mild chive flavor; garlic chives are noticeably stronger
• Assuming winter killed it; clumps die back and return in spring

Companion plants

Garlic chives grow well along bed edges and near roses, where the late flowers feed pollinators. Give them their own space, since they spread by seed freely.