Chive flowers

[DigginDebs]

I have a terracotta pot that has had chives in it from last year, I had cut it all back at the late end of autumn as it was mostly straw like. Early spring it sprung back into life but now it has flowers on it. I've seen mentioned of things going to seed - is this what has happened to my chives ? what does it mean and what do I need to do?

Sorry if I sound silly but I'm a real newbie gardener and I really don't have a clue what I'm doing half the time LOL

Thanks in advance for any advice, it will be greatly appreciated

[tamsin]

Just enjoy the flowers, you can still eat the leaves (I think you can eat the flowers too if you really want). They should continue to come up every year and the bulbs will split creating more.

[Shadylane]

Chives are fab - ours are in flower down t'lotment but at home not quite opened up yet. It's what they do, nowt to worry about. You can use the flowers as a garnish in salads.

[sheena]

I usually wait til the flowers dry out a little and harvest the seed from them and start another set off somewhere else. You can never have too many chives

[arknor]

yea chives ftw over time the bulb will get bigger and you can split the bulb up into individual bulbs and replant them no need for seeds!

[ginger ninger]

The flower's are slightly milder than the leaf and are yummy in salads, if you let the head go to seed just pick it of and plant the full head into the garden, then let nature take over...lot's more chives.

[Two_Sheds]

I grow a row of about 5 chive plants on the lotty, and let every one one go to flower: the others are chopped regularly so I can keep eating the leaves (I don't like the tougher texture of the flower stalks, myself)

[DigginDebs]

Thank you everyone for your replies I will try and save the dead flower heads and pass the seeds onto my friends and relatives, as it was this chive plant that started off my veggie garden

[Mac]

Some really useful info in here folks - thank you. Esp. didn't know about planting the whole flower head to get a new bunch! Will be doing that soon.....

[StephenH]

Mine are in flower at the moment, alongside a big clump of Thyme, which is also in full flower. They look great together - and you can use them in cooking!

[womble]

I used some unopened chive flowers in a salad yesterday, they were fantastic, like very strong spring onions.