How to Grow and Cut Onion Chive Herbs

Wait until early spring to plant your onion chives.

Choose a planting site with full sun -- although chives can usually still thrive in partial shade -- with soil that drains wells.

Spread a 1-inch layer of compost on top of the soil. Work it into the soil with a rake until it's evenly combined with the soil.

Press a shallow indention -- about 1/4-inch deep -- into the soil with the palm of your hand and place a couple seeds in the hole. Replace the soil on top of the indention. Space seed plantings about 1 foot apart. Or, if using plants, dig a hole with a spade or small shovel deep and wide enough to cover the roots and base of the plant. Space the plants about 1 1/2 feet apart.

Water the plants with a gentle stream from your garden hose whenever the soil appears dry. Water the soil thoroughly to give the plants plenty of water down to their roots. Skip watering on days it rains or if it rained the day before and the soil still appears wet.

Pinch off the flowers as they develop if you wish to produce more leaves.

Clip off the leaves with a pair of garden shears as soon as they are big enough to use in dishes. This usually occurs about six weeks after planting seeds and sooner if harvesting from established plants. Cut from the outside of the plant and work in. Only cut to about 1/2 inch above the soil level to leave plenty of growth to give the plant energy to produce more.

Cut the plants down to the ground at the end of the season, if you wish. The plant comes back in the spring and continues to spread.

Dig up and divide the plant in early spring after three or four seasons when the plant usually grows into a large clump.