Chives are the mildest member of the onion family — slender green tubes with a gentle onion flavour, the classic topping for baked potatoes, the essential herb in a French omelette, and one of the easiest perennials you will ever grow. A clump of chives comes back every spring, bigger than the year before, and asks for almost nothing: sun, ordinary soil, and a regular haircut.
Chives take 60–90 days to reach a useful size from seed, but a bought plant or a division from a neighbour's clump gives you a harvest in weeks — and once you have chives, you have them for years. They are hardy, trouble-free, and beautiful too, with purple pom-pom flowers in late spring that are edible and beloved by bees. This guide covers growing chives from seed or division, the cut-and-come-again harvest, and dividing the clump to keep it productive.
Chives at a glance
| Growing factor | What this crop needs |
|---|---|
| Sun | full sun |
| Soil pH | 6.0–7.0 |
| Days to germination | 14–21 |
| Days to maturity | 60–90 |
| Spacing | 6–8 inches |
| Water needs | moderate |
| Cold tolerance | hardy |
| Family | Amaryllidaceae |
Starting seeds
Chives can be started indoors or sown directly, and which you choose depends on your season. Indoor sowing gives you a head start in cold zones; direct sowing is simpler and avoids transplant shock. Either way, germination takes 14–21 days in warm, moist soil. Our seed-starting calculator can work out indoor sowing dates, and the seed-spacing calculator works out how many seeds you need for your bed.
This is a hardy crop, so it suits the cool parts of the year: in Zones 3–5 sow in early spring and again in late summer; in Zones 6–8 spring and autumn sowings do well, with summer sowings struggling in heat; in Zones 9–10 sow through autumn, winter and early spring; and in Zones 11–13, which are frost-free, grow it in the cooler months with afternoon shade. Check your dates with our frost-date calculator or the last-first frost lookup — and when in doubt, ask your local extension service.
Chives can be started indoors or sown directly, and germination takes 14–21 days — slow, like all onion-family seed. Sow thinly and keep the seedbed moist, or start in modules and plant out the seedlings in small clumps.
Transplanting and planting out
Harden seedlings off for a week before planting out: put them outside for a few hours a day, increasing the time and exposure, and bring them back in at night. Plant out at the final spacing of 6–8 inches apart, in holes the same depth as the pot. Water each plant in well and mulch around (not against) the stems to hold moisture. Our plant-spacing calculator shows how many plants fit your bed at 6–8-inch spacing.
Soil and feeding
Chives grows best in soil with a pH of 6.0–7.0, so test your soil before you plant — a cheap test kit tells you more than guessing ever will. Work in a little compost to improve structure, but keep the soil lean — herbs prefer soil that is not over-rich — and make sure the bed drains freely. Our soil-volume calculator and raised-bed soil calculator work out how much soil or compost your bed needs.
Feed lightly: herbs grown in soil that is too rich produce lots of soft leaf with diluted flavour. A little compost at planting time is usually enough, with at most a light feed in spring. Our fertiliser calculator works out how much to apply if your soil is genuinely poor.
Chives like rich, moist, well-drained soil with a pH of 6.0–7.0. Dig in compost before planting — chives are hungry for a herb, and a well-fed clump produces far more leaves than a starved one.
Watering
Water evenly and avoid letting the soil swing between soaked and bone dry. A deep soak once or twice a week beats a daily sprinkle, because it encourages roots to grow down where the soil stays cooler and moister. Mulch helps enormously here, holding moisture and keeping the soil temperature steady. Our watering calculator gives a starting point for your bed size and soil, and the watering schedule generator can build a routine around it.
Sunlight and temperature
Give Chives full sun — at least six hours of direct sun a day, and more is better in most zones. Sun drives flavour and yield in this crop, and plants in shade stay leggy and unproductive. Our sunlight calculator can check whether your spot gets enough sun.
It is hardy and copes with cool weather and light frost. In cold zones it dies back and regrows in spring; in warm zones it grows through the year, with a little afternoon shade in the hottest weather.
Pests and diseases
The pests and diseases to watch for with Chives are aphids, slugs and cutworms.
Aphids cluster on tender new growth and under leaves, sucking sap and leaving sticky honeydew.
Slugs and snails chew ragged holes in leaves at night and love damp, mulched beds.
Cutworms chew through young stems at soil level overnight.
Prevention beats cure: rotate crops so the same family does not grow in the same bed year after year, clear debris at the end of the season, and inspect the undersides of leaves weekly. Our pest identifier helper can help you name a pest from its damage, and the plant-disease checker can narrow down a leaf problem.
Companion plants
Good companions for Chives are tomatoes, peppers, marigolds and cabbage.
Tomatoes share this plant's love of sun and rich soil, and the pairing works well when both get enough space and airflow.
Peppers enjoy the same warm, sunny bed and similar watering, so they make a natural neighbour.
Marigolds are the classic companion: their roots and scent deter several soil pests, and their flowers bring in pollinators and beneficial insects.
Cabbage shares similar soil and water needs, and planting herbs nearby helps confuse the cabbage white butterfly.
Plant companions in the same bed rather than in a separate corner — that is how they do their work. Our companion-planting finder can suggest more pairings for your bed.
Harvesting
Chives are ready about 60–90 days after sowing, but start picking once the clump is established and the leaves are 15 cm tall. Cut the leaves with scissors, about 5 cm above the ground — never pull them, which damages the bulb. Cut the outer leaves first and leave the centre growing, and the clump regrows within a week or two. Harvest in the morning, when the leaves are crisp, and snip them with scissors rather than chopping: cut chives bruise easily.
Cut the whole clump back hard two or three times a season to keep it producing tender new leaves — old leaves go tough and yellow. If purple flowers appear, enjoy them: the flowers are edible, make a pretty garnish, and attract bees. But snip the flower heads off if you want leaf production to continue, because flowering slows leaf growth. In spring, divide congested clumps every two or three years — lift the clump, pull it apart, and replant the pieces with fresh compost.
Common problems and fixes
| Problem | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Leaves turn yellow | drought, hunger or old age | Water evenly, feed in spring, and cut the clump back hard. |
| Clump stops producing | congested and root-bound | Divide the clump in spring or autumn and replant in fresh soil. |
| Leaves go tough and coarse | not picked enough, or flowering | Cut back hard and pick regularly; snip flower heads off. |
Leaves turn yellow
Likely cause: drought, hunger or old age. Yellow chive leaves usually mean the plant is dry, hungry or simply old. Water deeply, give a light liquid feed in spring, and cut the whole clump back to a few centimetres — it regrows with fresh green leaves within a week or two.
Clump stops producing
Likely cause: congested and root-bound. A chive clump that has not been divided for years becomes a dense mat of tiny bulbs that produce thin, sparse leaves. Lift it in spring or autumn, pull it apart into small pieces, and replant them with space and fresh compost.
Leaves go tough and coarse
Likely cause: not picked enough, or flowering. Tough chive leaves have been left too long or the plant has flowered. Cut the whole clump back hard, pick the regrowth while it is young and tender, and snip flower heads off as soon as they appear.
Frequently asked questions
How long do chives take to grow?
Chives take 60–90 days from seed to a usable clump, with germination alone taking 14–21 days. A bought plant or a division establishes much faster — you can start picking within weeks.
Do chives come back every year?
Yes — chives are a hardy perennial. They die back in cold zones in winter and regrow in spring, and in mild zones they produce almost all year.
How do you harvest chives so they keep growing?
Cut the leaves with scissors about 5 cm above the ground, taking the outer leaves first and leaving the centre growing. Never pull the leaves, which damages the bulb.
Should I let chives flower?
The purple flowers are edible and beautiful, and bees love them — but flowering slows leaf production. If you want leaves, snip the flower heads off as they appear.