I've killed my chives...twice

[momol]

Hi steelsy,

Welcome to the vine, you will like it here and don't be afraid to ask, like Flummery said we are learning... somethings work some don't and it makes it so complex and challenging but also fun.

Momol

[Snadger]

It is quite normal for chives to die down after they've flowered and have a rest for the winter!
Come Spring they'll be back again with renewed vigour!

[shirlthegirl43]

Hi and welcome to the vine steelsy. Good luck with learning to garden - it is both fun and frustrating.

[moggssue]

Hi and welcome - there is lots of helpful friendly advice, inspiration and ideas, and more than a few laugh along the way to be found here. Good luck with your growing.

[MrsC]

hi orchard andi and steelsy and welcome, i bought about 5 pots of chives from lidl's 29p a pot threw them in the garden and don't bother with them, they have come on a treat, so i think a bit of neglect is the answer as so many have already said, good luck

[steelsy]

my boyfriend nearly chucked my half dead chives away! He didn't believe me when I said they were meant to be like that! He'll see!!!

[Litha]

Hello everyone.
well after reading this im really scared im going to murder mine to. Im an absolute newbie to this planting lark so was over the moon when my chives sprouted, 4 popped up in my little pot and in almost 2 weeks got quite tall ( well about 3 inch) but they look so delicate that iv chopped up a straw and put it round them for support. I usually give them a couple of sqwirts of water in in a morning and at night........ should i take the straws away and am i watering them too much?

as this is the very first time iv grown my own things i got over excited and have got pots and cell trays and chocolate tins etc.. alover the kitchen (iv got a green house that came when we bought the house but even tho iv cleaned and tidied it thought it was to cold to put anything in)

im sure ill get on your nerves with my daft questions alover the forum but you all seem so lovely ( iv been mooching round here abit over the past few days)

[areia]

omg i never thought id find someone who can kill chives they practically overrun my garden lil buggers i know they die back but they come back with avengance along with horseradish, strawberries, raspberries, feverfew, mint, chinese lanterns, gawd i could go on, i have alot of stuff in pots no muwahaha lil bugger wont get the better of me

[gemlady]

Well I put some chives seeds in a tray middle of Feb, and Basil in another tray. The Basil has come up with what looks like some chives in it, and the chive tray is showing nothing! Read in a book last night they germinate in 8 days but must be refrigerated first. Going to try sowing some more, does anyone agree with the refrigeration and for how long do you think?

[terrier]

Try sowing them outside, the weather will refridgerate them for you and they'll grow when they're good and ready and not before

[deezyb]

hi - i've got 4 x pots of chives growing in the house, planted a few weeks ago, didn't refrigerate them first as I'd not heard of that before! they look a bit spindly, but once I cut them down they look at bit more robust! the pots outside look fab though. oddly enough, i don't have any success with basil

[Sue]

Deezyb
It's not slugs is it doing your basil in? I've tried two years running and there's almost a slug queue to get in the greenhouse and feast on my basil seedlings. Absolute favourite thing by the look of it. I've given up and now buy them as small plants from the Farmer's Market, still get a bit chewed but starting them off under plastic bottle cloches at least gives them a fighting chance.
Sue

[sewer rat]

I sow my chives and garlic chives in 3" pots. Fill with damp compost, sprinkle a good pinch of chive seed on that and cover very very lightly with more compost. That's it ! They stayed in the tunnel til I was ready to plant them out and I have just transplanted about 50 clumps of chives and 25 clumps of garlic chives into my new herb area. All overwintered fine and are starting to grow away again/

[deezyb]

hi guys, i don't have a greenhouse (garden not big enough) but grow opal basil indoors, but it is a nightmare to get going. will give it another go, as you say Sue, small basil plants probably the best thing. I do have a problem with slugs and snails but both pests in different parts of the garden ie never see snalils where the slugs are and vice versa - any clues? my garden is small/medium i guess but the pests take over anyway...as you say...queue up!

i think my chives need to go outside, as in my earlier post, the outside chives are thriving and come up trumps every year!

Dee

[Isla]

I'm glad I'm not the only one having trouble with my chives!

After hours of searching the web this looks like the best place for advice

About a month ago I brought quite a large pot of chives from a garden centre and today I noticed little black dots right at the base of the stems. At first I thought it was just soil but after a closer look they are actually tiny bugs or flies! I've read up on blackfly but it seems these are more related to broad beans. I've tried turning the pot upside down and trying to spray them off with water but that doesn't seem to work. Does anyone have any idea of what they are, how they got there and how I can get rid of them?

At the moment because the weather is so bad I have kept them inside on the windowsill, I have a small plastic walk in greenhouse, is it ok to put them in there?

Any advice would be great