Chives
Common Chives, Onion Chives, Garlic Chives, Chinese Chives, Chives
Hardy perennial for zones 3–9. One of the easiest herbs to grow. Harvest by cutting leaves to 2" above soil; regrows within 2–3 weeks. Edible purple flowers attract pollinators. Divide clumps every 2–3 years to maintain vigor. Excellent container herb. Repels aphids and Japanese beetles when planted near vegetables.
- Germination
- 10–14 days
- Soil temperature
- 16–21 °C
- Harvest after sowing
- 60–90 days
- Spacing
- 15–25 cm
When to plant chives
Sow outdoors 4–6 weeks before your last spring frost.
Dashed line: typical last spring frost in zone 7 (Apr 5). Zone dates are averages; most of the UK is zone 8–9, central Europe 6–7 and the Baltics and Scandinavia 4–6. In the app, Tomatograph uses your garden's own frost dates.
How to grow chives
- 1
Sow
Sow 6 mm deep 4–6 weeks before the last frost, outdoors or in pots. Chives tolerate light frost; seedlings take 10–14 days.
- 2
Grow on
Give them sun and moderately rich soil. They are one of the easiest herbs and do well in containers.
- 3
Divide
Lift and split clumps every 2–3 years in spring to keep them vigorous.
- 4
Harvest
Cut leaves to 5 cm above the soil from about 60 days; they regrow in 2–3 weeks. The purple flowers are edible and attract pollinators.
Growing conditions
Light
Full sun
Water
Medium water
Temperature
-20–30 °C
Frost tolerance
Frost-hardy — tolerates frost
Days to maturity
60–90 days
Ideal soil pH
7.5–8
How Tomatograph watches your chives
Tomatograph checks your local forecast every morning and only speaks up when one of these applies to your garden.
- First frost within 14 daysReminder to mulch the roots before winter.
- 3 days at 35 °C or aboveHeat-wave alert while plants are flowering or fruiting: shade and water early.
- Humidity above 80% for 48 hoursCheck for downy mildew, which thrives in those conditions.
- Within a week of maturityHarvest-window reminder based on when you planted.
Chives questions
- When should I plant chives?
- Sow outdoors 4–6 weeks before your last spring frost.
- How long do chives seeds take to germinate?
- Usually 10–14 days at a soil temperature of 16–21 °C.
- How long until I can harvest chives?
- About 60–90 days after sowing, depending on variety and weather.
- How far apart should I plant chives?
- Allow 15–25 cm between plants.
- What grows well with chives?
- Good neighbours include carrot, tomato, apple.
Growing guide written by Tomatograph. Planting figures from openplantdb (CC0 1.0). Zone frost dates are averages from openplantdb (CC0 1.0).