Chives in USDA Zone 13 are a cool-season perennial herb grown in a zone that never really cools down. Winter lows stay above 60°F and frost never arrives, so there is no cold to kill them — the problem is heat, which slows growth, turns the slender leaves tough, and pushes the plant to flower and rest. Grown in the coolest months, roughly November through February, with steady water and a little shade, chives are a generous, easy plant that can be snipped again and again. Grown through the hot season without shade or water, they sulk and thin out.
Chives are the mildest member of the onion family, with hollow green tubes that snip like scissors into salads, eggs, potatoes and soups. They are also one of the prettiest herbs, throwing up round purple flower heads that bees love — and the flowers are edible too, with a gentle onion flavour. In Zone 13 they are best treated as a cool-season crop that may persist as a perennial in a shady, well-watered spot, rather than as a guaranteed year-round plant.
Zone 13 at a glance
USDA Zone 13 is the hottest zone in the system, with average winter lows above 60°F, covering tropical places such as Puerto Rico, Hawaii and Guam. It is frost-free all year, so there is no last spring frost and no first autumn frost to plan around. Zone 13 has no frost dates to work from, so plant by heat and by the wet and dry seasons instead. These are zone averages, not promises for any one garden — check your local extension service.
| Detail | Zone 13 guidance |
|---|---|
| Winter low | Above 60°F |
| Frost | Frost-free year-round (no last or first frost dates) |
| Days to germination | 14–21 days |
| Days to maturity | 60–90 days |
| Sowing | both |
| Planting window | Coolest months, roughly November–February; perennial in cooler spots |
| Harvest | 60–90 days after sowing; snip leaves continuously |
| Sun | full sun |
| Soil pH | 6.0–7.0 |
| Spacing | 6–8 inches |
| Water needs | moderate |
| Cold tolerance | hardy |
When to plant chives in Zone 13
Plant chives in the coolest months, roughly November through February, so the 60–90 days to maturity fall in the mildest weather. A November sowing or division is ready to start snipping in January or February, and a well-watered plant in light shade can keep producing well beyond the cool season. In a hot, dry spot the plant will flower, rest and thin out, so the practical calendar in Zone 13 is to establish chives in the cool months and keep them watered and shaded through the warm ones. The planting calendar hub shows the Zone 13 year, and February in Zone 13 is a good picture of chives at picking size.
Starting chives in Zone 13
Start chives from seed or by dividing an established clump — division is faster and more reliable, and a divided clump is already a picking-size plant within weeks. Seed germinates in 14–21 days when kept evenly moist, and seedlings grow slowly at first, so many gardeners start seed in trays and transplant the young clumps out once they are sturdy. Set divisions or seedlings out with the base just at soil level, water them in well, and keep the young bed weeded and shaded from the hardest midday sun in the first week. Chives grow in a tight clump, so plant a small group together rather than single plants spaced far apart.
Soil, spacing, sun and water
Chives grow best in full sun in cooler zones, but in Zone 13 a spot with morning sun and afternoon shade gives tenderer leaves and a longer season. They like rich, well-drained soil with a pH of 6.0–7.0, and they reward compost: dig in well-rotted compost before planting and the clump will grow thick and green. Space plants 6–8 inches apart in clumps, using the plant spacing calculator to plan the bed. Chives need moderate water: steady, even moisture keeps the leaves tender, and a clump that dries out turns tough and stops growing. Water at the base in the morning and mulch lightly to keep the soil cool and moist.
Companion planting
Good companions for chives include tomatoes, peppers, marigolds and cabbage, and chives are a useful companion plant in their own right — their scent is said to confuse some pests, and gardeners plant them at the edges of vegetable beds for that reason. Parsley shares the same cool-season herb bed, and red onions are the natural family neighbour in the same cool window.
Pests and problems
The common pests to watch for with chives are aphids, slugs and cutworms. Inspect the clump regularly, wash aphids off with a strong jet of water, pick slugs by hand in the evening, and fit cardboard collars around young transplants to stop cutworms. The pest identifier helper can help if you are unsure what you are seeing. In Zone 13, heat and humidity are the bigger threats: a clump that dries out stops growing, and wet, crowded foliage invites disease. Steady water, light shade, room for air to move and regular snipping keep a chive clump healthy, and a tired clump can be cut right back to the base in the cool season to force fresh, tender growth.
Harvest and storage
Harvest chives by snipping the hollow leaves with scissors, starting about 60–90 days after sowing, and cut from the outside of the clump, leaving the centre to keep growing. Snip in the morning, use the leaves fresh the same day, and take a little at a time — regular snipping keeps the clump producing tender new growth and delays flowering. If the plant does flower, snip the purple heads off and use them in salads, or let a few set seed. For storage, chives freeze well chopped in ice-cube trays with a little water, and they dry poorly, so freezing is the better route. Divide a crowded clump every year or two in the cool season, replanting the strongest pieces in fresh, compost-rich soil. Mint in its own pot nearby makes a good companion for a Zone 13 herb garden, carrying the warm months while chives rest.
Frequently asked questions
When should I plant chives in Zone 13?
In the coolest months, roughly November through February. A November planting is ready to start snipping in about 60–90 days.
Are chives perennial in Zone 13?
They can be, in a shady, well-watered spot, but heat thins them out.
What soil and spacing do chives need in Zone 13?
Morning sun and afternoon shade, rich well-drained soil with a pH of 6.0–7.0, spaced 6–8 inches apart in clumps.
How do I harvest chives without killing the clump?
Snip the outer leaves with scissors and leave the centre growing.