Chives - one flowering a year?

I love chives, but am always disappointed when their flowering season is over. I deadheaded mine last night and wondered if there's any way to encourage a second flush of flowers in the same growing season?

Mine are about 9" high now - would this be a good point to cut them right back to just above the soil? How often do others tend to harvest their outdoor chives each year?

Thanks,

Andy

 

I think the recommended way is to have three clumps. The first clump you cut down as the flower buds first appear, the second clump as the flowerbeds open, leaving the third to flower. The 3rd clump flowers as normal, the 1st clump then flowers, followed by the 2nd clump. This also staggers the leaf-growth.
(Edited to make sense!!)

I find that chives, if they are happy, will form lots of mini-clumps. I cut one back, as they start to flower. Then one clump is cut down every 3-4 weeks. Gives me two lots of flowers, and fresh leaves for harvesting through the summer. If it's as dry as it is now, I either don't cut back, or water thoroughly the clump that I do...

HTH!

 

I can't say about getting them to flower more than once. However I have chives, garlic chives and Welsh onion. They flower at slightly different times so with a mix you can prolong the flowering period and also have a bigger selection of edible plants . The Welsh onion is a much bigger plant and more spectacular in my opinion.

 

Great advice @Sian in Belgium - too late for this year but I'll sow some more to have 3 clumps next year and try the cutting system you suggest.

@Mike77 - no room for Welsh onions at home, but I'll give those a try at the plot next year. Never thought that garlic chives would flower at a slightly different time, so I'll make sure to sow some of those as well as an extra bunch of normal chives next year.

Thanks :-)

 

Another way would be to lift your clump of chives this autumn, and divide it. I wouldn't do it now, because the plants are too stressed with the drought....