How to grow chives

Allium schoenoprasum · Amaryllidaceae · Herb

Chives is a cool-season herb in the Amaryllidaceae family, grown either from a direct sowing or from transplants. It wants full sun, though it tolerates a little afternoon shade in hot regions and steady, even moisture. From sowing to first pick is about 60–90 days. It is one of the toughest crops here, standing through hard frost and often improving for it.

Grower’s note: A hardy perennial - one clump comes back for years and can be divided every few springs. Shear the whole clump to 2 in for a fresh flush. The pink pom-pom flowers are edible.

Sowing

Sow about 0.25″ deep, into soil between 55–80°F — germination is quickest near 70°F. It is slow and often erratic to germinate (14–21 days). For an early crop, start seed indoors about 8 weeks before your last spring frost and grow it under bright light.

Spacing & layout

Give each plant about 6″ along the row with roughly 8″ between rows. On a square-foot grid that is 4 per square foot. Allow at least 8″ of loose, workable soil for the roots. It grows well in containers at least 6″ deep.

Fitting it to your season

Chives is a perennial: you plant it once and it comes back and crops for years, so it does not fit the annual sow-and-harvest cycle. Give it a permanent, well-prepared spot out of the way of yearly digging. It takes one to three seasons to reach a full harvest — take little or nothing the first year while the plant establishes.

Quick facts

When to plant chives

Companions

Common problems

Pests: onion thrips, aphids.

Diseases & disorders: downy mildew, rust.

Same family (Amaryllidaceae)

Rotate these so they don’t follow each other in the same bed year to year.

Figures are typical home-garden ranges from Cooperative Extension planting guides, cross-checked against multiple state sources. Your variety and conditions will vary.