How to Get Rid of Chives – A Guide to Removing Unwanted Chive Plants

Chives are a popular herb grown for their grass-like leaves and mild onion flavor. While they make a great addition to any herb garden chives can sometimes spread out of control. Their tiny bulbs easily spread and if left unchecked, chives can invade lawns and flower beds where they aren’t wanted. Getting rid of unwanted chive plants takes some work, but it can be done through digging, mowing, and using herbicides.

Why Chives Spread

Chives spread readily for a couple reasons

• They grow from bulbs that divide and spread underground. A mature clump of chives contains hundreds of bulblets that can detach and take root elsewhere.

• They produce abundant seeds if allowed to flower Each pink chive flower head contains numerous small black seeds that self-sow everywhere

So chives pop up far from where they’re originally planted due to their spreading bulbs and prolific self-seeding. A patch of chives allowed to go to seed will quickly colonize an entire garden or lawn.

Hand Digging to Remove Chives

Manually digging is an effective way to get rid of small amounts of chives. Use a narrow trowel or hori-hori knife to dig under the chive clumps and lift them out. Try to extract as much of the roots and bulbs as possible so they don’t regrow. Digging works best when the soil is moist enough to easily remove the entire root mass.

Be diligent about digging out any new sprouts that emerge. Young chive plants are easier to dig than established clumps. Repeat digging whenever chive growth reappears to prevent the plants from gaining a foothold.

Mowing to Control Chives

Frequent mowing or shearing of chive foliage helps control further spread. Cutting the leaves to ground level prevents the plants from flowering and going to seed. It also starves the bulbs underground by removing their ability to photosynthesize.

Mow over chives as often as needed to keep the foliage trimmed to the soil surface. The bulbs will eventually die after several seasons of mowing. For large infestations, consider renting a brush cutter to quickly mow down the chive leaves.

Always collect and dispose of the clippings to prevent reseeding. Make sure no chive flowers form that could release seeds into the mowed area.

Using Herbicides on Chives

Non-selective herbicides containing glyphosate (Roundup) can be used to kill chives in areas like driveways and patios. Glyphosate is absorbed through the leaves and moves down to destroy the whole plant including the roots and bulbs. Treat chives with glyphosate in late summer or fall when the plants are actively growing. It may take several applications to fully eradicate a severe chive infestation.

In lawns, selective broadleaf weed killers with 2,4-D or dicamba can help control chives. Products containing these ingredients kill broadleaf weeds like chives but don’t harm grass. Spray over unwanted chives growing in the lawn, avoiding any desirable plants. 2,4-D is effective at killing the above ground chive foliage while multiple applications help destroy the bulbs. Always read herbicide labels carefully before using in lawns or gardens.

Preventing Chives from Spreading

To stop chives from becoming a problem in the first place:

• Plant them in containers instead of directly in garden beds. Pots restrict bulbs and keep chives where you want them.

• Cut off flower heads before they go to seed. Removing flowers prevents self-seeding.

• Divide large clumps every 2-3 years to control spread. Replant divisions in pots rather than back in garden beds.

• Pull out unwanted small chive plants as soon as spotted. Don’t let them grow and spread.

With some persistence, you can get invasive chives under control. A combination of manual digging, frequent mowing, and targeted herbicide use works best to fully eradicate chives. Stop them from spreading by containing plants, removing flowers, and promptly eliminating unwanted sprouts.