Chives are the easiest herb to harvest well. They are a hardy perennial that grows in a tidy clump of hollow, grass-like leaves, and every time you snip them they grow back — often within a week or two. The leaves are mild and oniony, the purple flowers are edible too, and a single clump will supply a household for years. The only real rule is to cut the leaves rather than pull them, and to leave a couple of inches of stubble so the plant can regrow.
Chives takes 60–90 days to mature, according to the Garden Grove crop data. It is a hardy herb in the Amaryllidaceae family with moderate water needs. For the full growing picture, see our growing guide for chives, and use the Harvest Date Calculator to work out your picking window from your sowing date. Browse the full guides hub and the tools hub for more harvest timing advice, and check your local extension service for dates suited to your climate.
Chives at a glance
| Growing factor | What chives needs |
|---|---|
| Days to maturity | 60–90 |
| Category | herb |
| Family | Amaryllidaceae |
| Cold tolerance | hardy |
| Water needs | moderate |
Signs chives is ready to pick
Chives are ready for their first cutting when the leaves are about six to eight inches tall, bright green and upright, typically 60 to 90 days after sowing or soon after regrowth in spring. The leaves should be firm and hollow, not limp or yellowed at the tips. If the leaves are flopping over, they are past their best for snipping and better cut back hard to encourage fresh growth.
The flowers are a second sign to watch. In late spring the clump sends up round purple flower heads on stiff stems. The flowers are edible and make a pretty garnish, but once the plant flowers, leaf production slows — so take a good cutting of leaves before the flowers open, and then snip the flower heads for the kitchen. If you want to keep the leaves coming, remove the flower heads promptly.
How to pick chives
Snip chives with clean scissors, cutting a bunch of leaves about two inches above the ground. Gather a small handful of leaves in your fingers, cut cleanly across, and leave the short stubble to regrow. Never pull leaves out by the roots, and never cut the leaves down to soil level — the plant needs that short stubble to push new growth from the base.
Take what you need from the outside of the clump first, and work around it so no one section is stripped bare. You can cut the same clump every two to three weeks through the growing season, taking up to half the leaves at a time. Harvest in the morning after the dew has dried, when the leaves are crisp. For the full growing picture, see our growing guide for chives.
The best time of day to harvest
Harvest chives in the morning, after the dew has dried but before the sun gets hot. That is when the leaves are dry, crisp and most aromatic, because the essential oils are at their most concentrated after a cool night. Leaves picked in the afternoon heat are often limp and less flavourful, and wet leaves picked while the dew is still on them dry slowly and can go mouldy in storage.
Choose a dry day for harvesting if you can, and avoid picking after rain, when the foliage is wet and heavy. If you must pick on a damp day, spread the cuttings out in a single layer in a ventilated spot for an hour before you bundle or bag them. And get the harvest out of the sun straight away — a basket of cut herbs left in the sun for an hour will wilt and lose much of its aroma. Morning picking is a small habit that makes a real difference to flavour and keeping quality.
How often to pick
Chives is a pick-little-and-often crop, and regular picking is part of good plant care, not just a way to get a harvest. Once the plant is established, you can take a small picking every week or two through the growing season, always leaving enough growth for the plant to recover. Each cut encourages the plant to branch and push out fresh, tender growth, so a plant that is picked regularly stays bushy and productive far longer than one that is left alone.
Do not wait for a single big harvest unless the plant is one you cut whole for drying — for most herbs, steady, small pickings give you better flavour and a healthier plant. Take a few sprigs from several plants rather than a large handful from one, and always leave at least two-thirds of the plant intact. If you go away for a few weeks, ask someone to pick the herbs, or cut the plant back before you leave so it regrows while you are gone.
What happens if chives is left too long
Chives left uncut become coarse and less useful. The leaves grow long, flop over and turn yellow at the tips, and the plant flowers and sets seed, after which leaf production slows sharply. An uncut clump also self-seeds freely, and you may find chive seedlings popping up in lawns and paths around the bed.
If your chives have become a tangled, floppy clump, cut the whole thing back to two inches above the ground, clear away the old leaves, and water well. Fresh, tender leaves will regrow within two weeks. The old leaves are still usable if they are green and sound — snip them finely for cooking — but the regrowth will be far better. Regular cutting is the whole secret of good chives.
How to store chives
Fresh chives keep for one to two weeks in the fridge, wrapped loosely in a damp tea towel inside a bag, or stood upright in a jar of water. Snip them just before using — cut chives lose their flavour quickly, so do not chop them hours ahead of a meal. Do not wash chives until you are ready to use them.
For longer keeping, freezing is the best option. Snip the leaves into short pieces and freeze them in a bag or in ice-cube trays with water or oil. Frozen chives keep their mild onion flavour for months and are ideal for soups, eggs and potatoes. Drying is not recommended for chives, because dried chives lose almost all their flavour and turn papery. The flowers can be snipped into salads fresh, or steeped in vinegar to make a pretty pink chive vinegar.
Succession and continuous harvest tips
Chives are a hardy perennial, so there is no need to sow them every year — a single clump can live for many years and only gets more productive with age. The clump slowly spreads, and every three to four years it is worth digging it up in spring, dividing it into smaller pieces and replanting them in fresh soil. Division rejuvenates the plant and gives you new clumps to share or plant elsewhere.
To keep a continuous supply of tender leaves, cut the whole clump back hard once in midsummer after flowering — remove all the old leaves and flower stems down to a couple of inches. The plant will push out a flush of fresh, soft growth within two weeks. In cold climates the leaves die back in winter and regrow in spring; in mild climates you can pick chives for much of the year.
If you are also growing other herbs and vegetables, our guides to harvesting lavender and harvesting fennel follow the same picking principles, and check your local extension service for advice suited to your area.
Frequently asked questions
When can I start harvesting chives?
Once the leaves are six to eight inches tall, typically 60–90 days after sowing, or soon after spring regrowth on an established clump.
How do I cut chives so they grow back?
Snip bunches about two inches above the ground with scissors, leaving short stubble. Never pull leaves out or cut down to soil level.
Can I eat chive flowers?
Yes — the purple flower heads are edible, mild and oniony. Snip them into salads, or steep them in vinegar for pink chive vinegar.
Should I dry or freeze chives?
Freeze them. Dried chives lose almost all their flavour, while frozen chives keep their mild onion taste for months.
How often can I cut chives?
Every two to three weeks through the growing season, taking up to half the leaves at a time. Cut the whole clump back hard once in midsummer.