In my area it is common to find wild chives sprouting up all over our lawns. Since the seeds spread well in the wind, it's no surprise that these cold tolerant herbs are avid proliferators. This is a great feature in the herb garden, but not so much in the front yard. Fortunately, they are very easy to transplant, and as perennials, you are sure to have fresh chives for many months of the year, for years to come.
Materials You Will Need:
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Bulb planter Knee pad Small bucket Garden trowel* Hand weeder Garden gloves Top soil Wildly growing chives *Optional: shovel
How to Transplant Wild Chives:
Best done in the spring, when you can see the shoots.
Gather the cluster of wild chives together, and center them in the bulb planter.
With a twisting motion, work the planter down around the plant, to a depth of approximately 6 inches. The deeper the better.
If you run into nearby tree roots or rocks, work the hand weeder up and down along the outside edge of the bulb planter, to cut through any roots, or move rocks out of the way.
Once you've reached the right depth, rock the bulb planter back and forth, then pull up gently, bringing the wild chives plant with you. You may want to work the hand weeder under the plant as well, to assist the removal.
Collect as many or as few plants as you would like to transplant. Don't forget to fill in your holes with some top soil so the nearby grass can fill in the spots.
Prep Your New Location:
There really isn't much prepping required for transplanted wild chives. They prefer well draining soil, in full sunlight. I chose an area on the south side of our house, where they will be able to expand with abandon.
I used a shovel to turn over the dirt about 8 inches wide and 8 inches deep. Loosen up the dirt around the roots and bulbs and spread them out a bit before putting them in the ground, at the same depth they came out. Break up the dirt that was over turned and spread it around the new transplants.
Water well, and enjoy your new wild chives for many years to come!
This technique also works well with Grape Hyacinth bulbs, another wild well-spreading spring plant.
Don't have any to transplant?
More tips:
Recipes:
