Do you deadhead chives?

SarSpud

I have lots of clumps of chives around the garden and they flower brilliantly, we’ve had tons of bees on them 🙂 they’re just going to seed, is it possible to deadhead chives to get more flowers? I've just left them in previous years and never thought about it before.

Lyn

Sometimes I do, just for looks. Sometimes by this time they have rusty spots on them, I cut the whole lot back to the ground and in no time they are up again with lovely fresh leaves. 

Obelixx

I take some flowers when still fresh for adding to salads and sauces but otherwise, it's much easier to do as Lyn does and cut the whole plant back.   Stops them spreading quite so fast too.   The purple flowered ones can be rampant.

Brexiteer

I grow them in pots just for the bees and I deadhead them 

Brexiteer

Lyn said:

Sometimes I do, just for looks. Sometimes by this time they have rusty spots on them, I cut the whole lot back to the ground and in no time they are up again with lovely fresh leaves. 

Never have rust on mine 👍

SarSpud

BirminghamMarc1972 said:

I grow them in pots just for the bees and I deadhead them 

Do they re-flower?

B3

When the flowers are dead, i deadhead but then i really grow chives for the flowers. Ive tried buying pots of them to eat but i can't resist planting them

Brexiteer

SarSpud said:

BirminghamMarc1972 said:

I grow them in pots just for the bees and I deadhead them 

Do they re-flower?

They always have flowers on them till mid summer then they seem to stop 

Guernsey Donkey2

We do both here too - keep some of the flowers which the bees are thankful for and dead head other plants so we can harvest the chive stems to eat.

Lyn

I just pick off a flower and eat it as I’m passing.

Fairygirl

I do the same as Lyn. They often produce more flowers later too.