Hmmm... you planted them in the garden? How warm has it been there, especially at night? The second thought that comes to my head is snails and slugs mowing them down... that is one of the big reasons that I plant in small pots first, to give the little guys some chance before giving them to the slugs.

Nights here on the carolina coast have been in the 60,s. Basil seed has germinated as well as borage, fennel and dill. They are planted in a raised bed, no sign of slugs /snails . Think I should just replant them in pots? Thank you.

4 weeks seems like a really long time for garlic chives not to germinate. I'd probably replant some in pots and also sow thickly in the ground if you have extra seed and then transplant once they're up or thin once they sprout in the ground. Once they get going, they're tenacious.

I do this: sow them in round containers (like a 16 oz butter tub) and when sprouts are about 4" long, don't thin out, and plant as one single clump or if the diameter is extra big divide into 2 clumps and plant :)

Vera

They should be up by now, I would guess you had a dud batch of seeds.

Be careful what you wish for, I just dug out 4, count them, 4 wheelbarrows of garlic chives that took over my garden. I planted 2 small plants a couple of years ago and they have taken over!! I swear garlic chives are worse than mint! I dug up 2 clumps and potted them up and the rest I'm digging out of my beds.

Renata in Iowa

I agree totally with Renata, also from Iowa. If I could undo it, I would never have planted garlic chives. They are the worst pest ever. While I am not hauling them out by the wheelbarrow-full like Renata, I am constantly trying to get rid of them. There are lots of better things for an herb garden.

I planted Garlic Chives for the first time last year. Started indoors in small pots and they germinated in two weeks. Maybe you should try starting over planting in pots and transplanting. I transplanted ours to a raised bed in a single clump (as Vera suggests). They were slow growers their first year, but look very good this year. Now I am worried about them being invasive. Will keeping the flowers cut help control them?

No invasive problems if you cut the flower stalks before the seed pods pop. The blooms are beautiful, and the dried seed pods are useful in dried arrangements.

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I make "fireplace fragrance bundles" out of lavender stems, garlic chives flower pods, and Siberian iris pods. I tie the bundles with raffia, and dip in scented wax. They look cute, smell great, and do a nice job starting a fire with one match. I usually dip in clear wax, this particular batch was with red wax which I didn't like as well but still smelled great and worked just fine.

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I cut the seed pods when they are dry and just beginning to crack. I hang the bundles upside down by clothespinning them to the sides of a paper grocery bag. The seeds "mostly" fall out...you will have to shake and brush at them a bit. The seeds are very, very viable, so if you don't collect the seeds they will spread.

I must thank each and everyone of you for the excellent advise. IWe are having a chill factor here on the NC coast for a few days. 40's at night, and only 70 during the day. I plan to wait till the end of the week when we are predicted more seasonable temps and replant those darn garlic chives. Plan to put some in pots and some in my raised bed. You are all wonderful. My husband says I am obsessed, he said when I am not in the herb garden I am on line with all of you! Okay he is correct , but what a wonderful obsession!

I just sprinkle the seed where I want them to grow and next spring they come up. And it's easy enough to pull them out if they turn up where you don't want them. However, just letting them seed themselves all over is an invitation to disaster.