Companion Plants

• Chives are a good companion plant for many other outdoor garden plants -- such as tomatoes, broccoli, strawberries or carrots -- for their ability to repel insects and prevent various diseases. However, they adapt well to indoor planting and can grow in their own pot or with other herbs such as basil or oregano. A mixed pot can also be very attractive. Chives can grow indoors from seed or plant starts. To bring in a start from an outdoor garden, choose a healthy clump of chives that has not flowered or been trimmed back after flowering to about 2 inches in height. Remove any dead or dying leaves before placing in the pot.
  
  

Soil

• Place the mixed plants in a high-quality commercial potting soil with a small amount of compost mixed in. Or make your own by mixing one part each of peat moss, sand and potting soil. This mixture provides good drainage, but will give the chives -- or any plant -- a rich soil for optimum growth and health. A small amount of compost can also be mixed into the top layer of soil during the winter, or add a commercial water-soluble fertilizer every few weeks to boost the soil's nutrition.
  
  

Water

• Potted herbs can dry out very quickly indoors, especially in the winter when heating dries out the air. And with mixed planting, roots compete for water. When planting chives in the pot, choose one with good drainage so that plants do not sit in water and develop rot. Use water that is at room temperature -- let it sit out all night before watering in the morning, for example -- or lukewarm so that plants aren't given an unpleasant shock. Add water until the soil is wet but not saturated and apply again before it completely dries out. Chives can also benefit from a light misting of water between regular waterings.
  
  

Light

• Outdoors, chives require full sun for optimal growth. Indoors, most plants should have at least six hours of direct sunlight for the best results, preferably from a western or southern window. If you cannot provide these lighting conditions, use a grow lamp to mimic sunlight. You can also use fluorescent lighting, but plants will require two hours of fluorescent lighting to one hour of sunlight.