Where to Find Chive Plants for Sale Near Me

Chives are a versatile and easy-to-grow herb that can add flavor and beauty to any garden. Their mild onion-garlic taste enhances dishes from eggs to potatoes to salads. Chives are also an attractive edible ornamental that can serve as a garden border. If you want to grow chives but aren’t sure where to find plants, read on for tips on locating chive plants for sale near you.

Check Local Nurseries and Garden Centers

The first place to look for chive plants is your local independent nurseries and garden centers. Many of these small businesses offer a great selection of herbs and other edible plants. The benefit of shopping at a local nursery is you can see the plants in person to assess their health and size. You also are supporting a local business.

Some big box stores like Home Depot and Lowes also carry herbs, but selection is often more limited. Check out the garden section at your neighborhood home improvement or hardware store to see if they have chives. The herb selection may be small, though, so call ahead to be sure before making a trip.

What to Look for When Buying Chives

When shopping for chive plants, choose those with fresh, green leaves and no signs of yellowing or damage. The soil should be moist but not soaked. Opt for larger pots over smaller ones to ensure an established root system. Also look for labeling that indicates the chives are a perennial culinary variety, not just generic ornamental chives.

Order Online for Convenience and Selection

Ordering chives online is an easy option that opens up many more choices beyond what local stores carry. Reputable online retailers like Burpee, Territorial Seed Company, and Mountain Valley Growers offer good prices on chive plants shipped right to your door.

Benefits of online shopping include

• Wider selection of plant sizes, varieties, and quantities. Order multiple pots at once.

• Have plants delivered at just the right time for spring planting, No more guessing when they’ll be in stock,

• Avoid transporting plants in your car from the garden store, Less hassle

• Read plant descriptions and growing info online to make an informed purchase.

• Order exactly the chive you want like German heirloom or garlic chives. Limited availability locally.

• Receive healthy, thriving plants grown by experts and packaged to ship. Local stores may mishandle plants.

Just be sure to order early, at least 2-3 weeks before your desired delivery date, so plants arrive in good condition.

Find Chive Plants at Local Markets and Events

Beyond traditional garden stores, you may also find chive plants at farmers markets, garden shows, and other local public events featuring food and agriculture vendors.

advantages of buying chives from local growers:

• Get tips and recommendations from the grower on caring for chives.

• Support small-scale farmers and independent plant businesses.

• Reduce environmental impact of shipping with plants grown right in your community.

• Buy multiple sizes and varieties of chives from one seller.

• Chat with the grower and learn what plants grow well in your specific area.

The selection will depend on the individual vendor, so browse all the options before purchasing to find your perfect chives.

Swap or Share Chives with Other Gardeners

If you’re having trouble finding chives for sale, consider reaching out to other home gardeners to swap or share plants. Many gardeners end up with more plants than they need each season and are happy to find their extras a new home.

Ways to find chive plant shares:

• Talk to gardening neighbors, friends, family, and coworkers to see if they have extra chives or divisions to spare.

• Join local gardening groups online and post that you are looking for chives. Members often respond with plant divisions.

• See if there is a local garden club or community garden where you could get chive donations or trade other plants.

• Check community boards, Facebook, and Nextdoor groups in your area for gardeners offering free plants.

When obtaining plants this way, inspect them carefully for problems and be sure to get digging and planting instructions for transferred chives.

Grow Chives from Seeds

If you have patience and want to save money, growing chives from seed is quite easy to do. Although it takes longer to grow than buying starter plants, you’ll ultimately get a continuous supply of chives for free.

To start chives from seeds:

• Sow seeds indoors 6-8 weeks before your last spring frost in flats or pots. Cover with 1⁄4 inch soil.

• Keep soil moist and provide plenty of light. Young seedlings emerge in 14-21 days.

• Transplant outdoors once there is no more chance of frost. Space 4-6 inches apart in well-draining soil.

• Water regularly and fertilize occasionally through summer. Harvest leaves once plant is established.

• In winter, mulch plants to protect from freeze. Chives are perennial and regrow every year!

Growing chives from seed takes more time and effort than buying plants, but watching your garden grow can be very rewarding.

Divide Existing Chive Plants

Do you or a gardening friend already have chives? Dividing overgrown clumps of chives is an easy way to get free plants! Here’s how to divide:

• In early spring, dig up mature chive clumps and gently break into smaller bunches.

• Replant divisions 8-10 inches apart in amended soil, at same depth as before.

• Water well and let plants establish for a few weeks before harvesting.

Dividing chives regularly every 2-3 years keeps them growing vigorously. It also gives you new plants to expand your harvest, use in cooking, and share.

Overwinter Potted Chives Indoors

Did you grow chives in containers over the summer? Bring pots inside before frost to overwinter indoors for a head start on fresh herbs next spring.

To overwinter container chives:

• Cut back foliage by half in late summer to reduce growth and stress.

• Move pots to a sunny indoor location like a south-facing window before cold weather.

• Keep soil slightly moist over winter but avoid overwatering.

• In early spring, move back outside and resume watering as chives start growing again.

• Harvest all year from your overwintered potted chives!

This easy method lets you get multiple seasons from one chive plant. Enjoy their fresh onion-y flavor even when snow is on the ground.

Plant Chives in a Sunny Herb Garden

Once you’ve secured your chive plants or seeds, it’s time to plant them in your garden. Here are some tips:

• Chives need full sun – at least 6 hours a day of direct sunlight.

• Prepare soil with compost or fertilizer to provide nutrients. Chives like slightly rich soil.

• Space chive plants 4-6 inches apart in groups or rows. They make great borders and edging.

• Set each plant at the same depth it was growing in its nursery pot. Pat soil firmly around roots.

• Water chives regularly to keep soil consistently moist. Add mulch around plants to retain moisture.

• Pick flowers in late spring to mid summer to prolong leaf production. Let some flowers bloom for pollinators.

With proper placement and care, you’ll be harvesting homegrown chives all season long!

The versatile chive is easy to use in recipes like baked potatoes, omelets, salads, dips, and more. So find some plants this season and let these flavorful perennial onions enhance your cooking! With so many options for buying or acquiring chives, you should have no trouble locating a few to add to your kitchen herb collection.