Last updated on September 26th, 2022 at 11:20 am
One particular trait that makes most gardeners love perennial plants is their ability to come back every year. And you may have that same affinity.
So, you probably might be looking for the best herbs you can plant that will not only give you value for one year but multiple planting seasons. Thus, chives may come to mind. Nonetheless, you may not be sure of whether it is a perennial or not.
Hence, you may wonder, “do chives come back every year?” Yes, chives will come back every year. Chives are cool-season, cold-tolerant herbs that will survive and do well in any season. In addition, they are easy to grow herbs that require less maintenance. Chives, a perennial, will come back year after year without dying off.
Are Chives Annual Or Perennial?
Annual plants and herbs only last for one growing season; they stay up to four to five months before dying off, depending on the type of plant or herb and the weather conditions.
Once they die in a planting year, They don’t grow back next year unless replanted again. While perennials stay for more than two years, Chives are hardy perennial herbs that grow back every year.
Chives, a perennial, are mainly easy to grow with less maintenance because they grow every year for at least two or more years. They can also survive slightly harsh seasons, whether winter or frost.
As aforementioned, Chives are perennial, and it also does well in cool temperatures. During this cool period, the herbs can stay green and be produced freshly for harvest.
Nonetheless, chives later enter a dormancy state where the herbs sometimes dry up or reduce their growth, trying to preserve themselves through unfavorable weather conditions until the following year.
Will Chives Grow Back After Winter?
Typically, the colder the climatic condition, the more risk of plants and herbs dying off. The winter period is a very harsh season for plants and herbs to grow.
It is known by gardeners and even farmers worldwide that most perennial herbs or plants grow.
Bloom well in the spring and summer and die during winter and autumn and then come back during spring from their rootstock or other parts depending on the type of herb or plants.
While this is true, you may still be confused about the type of perennial herb chives and whether they can survive the winter and grow back after winter.
Luckily, chives will grow back after winter. They dry up during winter every year and remain dormant throughout the cold season until springtime when they start to sprout new green leaves shooting up from the roots in the soil.
Most cold-hardy perennial herbs like chives are considered highly adaptive, and chives are among herbs that generally survive the winter.
 They can go dormant then grow back after the winter, which is during spring or summer.
How Do You Keep Chives Over The Winter?
Even though chives can survive the cold climate, it would be best to take extra steps to keep them over the winter to either continue to produce or for preservation till the following year.
You can employ various ways and methods to keep chives over winter. These processes are done to make this herbaceous perennial available during the winter period and after.
Without preserving these chives, they may end up becoming dormant till the following year. Nonetheless, although chives and other perennial herbs prefer warm climatic conditions, they have the potential of still doing well in the cold.
I will be giving two effective ways of keeping chives over the winter and explaining these methods. First, we have the greenhouse method called ‘the winter greenhouse gardening ‘; this is no different from regular greenhouse gardening.
Just that the winter greenhouse is done during the winter where there is a lack of enough sunlight for growth.
Another method is planting the chives in a container, taking them indoors away from the winter.
This method is reliable because apart from keeping them over the winter, this method creates quick access to this onion family for home or other purposes. Below I will be explaining these methods;
1. Winter Greenhouse Gardening
The ability to grow fresh produce throughout the year is something that gardeners aim at. A winter greenhouse is a self-sufficient energy structure with internal heaters capable of growing food throughout the year without additional heaters.
It can withstand the winter temperature even to the lowest due to its geodesic shape with its given heat sinks and insulators.
Therefore, this design is a well-trusted and effective structure for growing these herbs in winters without supplement heat; these methods are primarily practiced in regions with cold climates.
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2. Planting Chives In Containers Indoors
Chives grow well in containers like other kitchen herbs too. When the winter is approaching, they can be kept in the kitchen by digging up clumps of chives from the soil outdoors and planting them in pots or containers.
If these containers are kept outdoors, the chives might just become dormant, waiting for the following year.
Using this method, you can keep the containers by the window side where the little winter sun can meet them;
just like other herbs, they also require moisture, they are not to be kept completely dry, it’s best to water them daily regularly. But, as I said earlier, they are low-maintenance herbs; they don’t require much maintenance.
These two methods are straightforward and suitable for keeping chives over the winter, mostly in very cold climatic regions; regions with hot or warm climates are on the lucky side because these herbs can stay outdoors and still produce fine.
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Conclusion
The chive is an excellent herbaceous perennial plant that can survive for years after being planted once. It can survive winter and grow back after going through a state of dormancy where it reduces its growth waiting for the following spring.
Not only can chives stay dormant and survive the winter, but they can also be kept to produce during the winter and probably made available throughout the year.
Also, they are one of the best substitutes for onions used for garnishing meals or salads. They are low in calories and high in beneficial nutrients. They contain nutrients that are good for bone health and sleep.
Medically they can help as anticancer. If in doubt about including chives in your garden, then it’s a good choice.
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