Do Chives Work Well in a Pot With Other Plants?

Companion Plants

• Chives make effective companion plants for carrots and roses. The natural scent of chives helps to protect and ward off aphids and other insects that typically invade roses and carrots. Most other herbs grow well when planted with chives. Mints, marjoram, winter savory, thyme, sage, parsley and oregano are commonly grown with chives in multi-herb containers. Seed packets are available for purchase that combine chives with basil, thyme and sage and are designed for multi-herb gardening in containers or garden plots. You can also plant chives in a container with a surrounding ground cover.

Container Types

• Choosing the right container for multi-herb or companion planting is essential to ensure the chives and other plants have enough room to grow. The type of container you choose will also vary depending on your desired visual arrangement. Large round containers or rectangular window boxes are best suited to growing chives with other plants. Choose a container that fits the desired growing location. The more plant varieties chosen, the larger the container needs to be to accommodate all the plants.

Method

• Decide on the plants you want to grow with the chives. Arrange the plants so they are visually appealing. In large round containers, plant chives in the center and encircle the chives with other herbs. Alternatively, you can plant carrots around the chives, leaving 2 to 3 inches between the chives and the carrot roots. Long, rectangular planters provide an easily accessible way of planting multiple herbs together, with each herb having its own space to grow. Although larger containers work best for combining chives with other plants, you can use smaller containers for indoor kitchen herbs.

Considerations

• Do not plant chives with peas and beans as the plants inhibit the growth of each other when planted together or in close proximity. Chives generally grow 12 to 18 inches tall and wide unless they are planted in small kitchen containers where space is limited. Try to choose other medium to low-growing plants of the same height to prevent the chives from crowding out the other plants. Planting larger or invasive plants may crowd out the chives and prevent them from growing properly. Consider the ease of access when planting chives for harvest with other plants and avoid vines or trailing plants unless they are maintained.