Crops › Chives
How to grow Chives
in the US
Sow March to May, plant out June, harvest May to September. About 60 days from seed to plate.
Shown for zone 6. Zone table further down.
Chives are a proper cracking herb, aren't they? So easy to grow and they just keep giving you that mild oniony flavor for your cooking. I always have a clump on my plot, you know, just for snipping.
Sowing
Chives are pretty straightforward from seed, to be honest. You won't often find them as plug plants, so seeds it is. For most folks in zones 5-7, you're looking at sowing from March through May, but warmer zones can start earlier, and colder ones a bit later, like April or May in zones 3-4. Just check your USDA zone for the best timing. Sow seeds about 1/4 inch (6mm) deep, either direct in the ground or in pots indoors for a head start. Pop a few seeds together, maybe 10-15, in a little clump, then space these clumps about 6-8 inches (15-20cm) apart. They don't mind a bit of cold, but a steady temperature around 60-70°F (15-21°C) gets them going.
Growing on
If you started your chives indoors on the windowsill, once they're a few inches tall and the risk of the last frost has well and truly passed, you can get them outside. Just harden them off slowly for a week or so, bringing them in at night if it's chilly. Plant those little clumps about 6-8 inches (15-20cm) apart in a sunny spot with good drainage. They're not fussy, and they do proper well in containers too, so even if you've only got a small patio, you can still get a good crop. No need for any fancy support, they stand up on their own.
Looking after it
Chives are easy keepers. They like a good drink, especially in dry spells, but don't let them sit in soggy soil. A bit of general purpose fertilizer once or twice in the growing season won't hurt, but they're not heavy feeders. Keep them weed-free, that's important, as weeds will steal their nutrients. If they start to flower, you can snip off the flower heads to encourage more leaf growth, but the flowers are edible and look cracking in a salad.
What goes wrong
Chives are generally pretty hardy, which is why I'm chuffed with them. You might see a few aphids now and then, but usually, a good blast with the hosepipe sorts them out. Slugs can be a bother when the plants are small, especially if you've got a damp spot, so keep an eye out. Planting marigolds or nasturtium nearby can help deter some pests, like I say, it's all about working with nature.
Harvest
You can start harvesting your chives about 60 days after sowing, usually from June right through to September. Just snip off the leaves with scissors about an inch (2.5cm) from the ground. Don't take all of them at once, just what you need, and the plant will keep on producing. If you've got a proper glut, they freeze really well – just chop them up and pop them in a bag or ice cube tray. You can also store them in the fridge in a damp paper towel for a few days.
I always have a pot of chives right by the kitchen door. That way, when I'm cooking, I can just nip out and snip a few fresh ones without even putting my boots on, you know what I mean?
Dates for your plot
Type your zone and the plant-out advice shifts to your frost dates.
Varieties, and whether the club would grow them again
| Variety | Club verdict |
|---|---|
| Common Chives This is your classic chive, a real workhorse in the kitchen. It's a fantastic choice for anyone starting their herb garden, offering plenty of mild oniony flavor. | No club votes yet |
| Staro Staro is a robust chive variety that does particularly well when sown direct in the garden. It's known for its strong growth and reliable harvests, perfect for a sunny spot on the plot. | No club votes yet |
| Grolau Grolau is another excellent maincrop variety, great for getting an early start indoors. It produces a good quantity of fine leaves, making it a cracking choice for regular kitchen use. | No club votes yet |
| Polyvert Polyvert is a cracking chive variety that thrives when sown straight into the ground. You'll get plenty of upright, dark green leaves from this one, making it a reliable choice for your backyard. | No club votes yet |
| Purly Purly is a lovely chive, known for its uniform growth and good flavor. It's ideal for starting indoors, giving you a steady supply of fresh leaves over a long season. | No club votes yet |
| Fine Leaved As the name suggests, this variety produces delicate, fine leaves that are perfect for garnishing. It's a good choice for direct sowing, giving you a constant supply of tender greens. | No club votes yet |
| Medium Leaf This chive offers a good balance of size and flavor, with leaves thicker than fine varieties but still tender. It's a versatile choice for indoor starting, providing a proper steady harvest. | No club votes yet |
| Nelly Nelly is a solid performer for direct sowing, giving you a reliable crop of tasty chives. It's known for its vigor and consistent production through the growing season. | No club votes yet |
| Prairie Blossom This variety is not just for flavor; it produces lovely purple flowers that are also edible and look cracking in a salad. Start it indoors for an early display and good leaf production. | No club votes yet |
| Profusion Profusion lives up to its name, offering an abundant harvest of flavorful chive leaves. It's a great choice for direct sowing, ensuring you'll have plenty for all your cooking needs. | No club votes yet |
| Siberian Garlic Chives These are a bit different, giving you a lovely garlicy flavor, a real alternative to standard chives. They're best started indoors and can be harvested much like their oniony cousins. | No club votes yet |
| Geisha Geisha is a reliable variety that does well when sown outdoors, producing good upright growth. It offers that classic chive flavor and is a cracking choice for consistent harvesting. | No club votes yet |
| Bohemia Bohemia is a vigorous indoor-sown chive, known for its dense clumps of leaves. It's a dependable variety that will keep you supplied with fresh herbs throughout the season. | No club votes yet |
| Tavor Tavor is a robust chive that's perfect for direct sowing into your garden plot. It provides a steady supply of flavorful leaves and is a really hardy, easy-to-grow option. | No club votes yet |
| Forescate Forescate is a cracking chive variety, especially good for starting indoors to get a head start on the season. It produces lovely, fine leaves with a proper good flavor for all your dishes. | No club votes yet |
Votes are members rating varieties in their Seed Tin, one vote per gardener. Tap a variety for the full page and where to buy.
Buy Chives seeds
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Sowing by USDA zone
| Zone | Sow / plant | Harvest |
|---|---|---|
| Zone 3 | April to May | June to September |
| Zone 4 | April to May | June to September |
| Zone 5 | March to May | May to September |
| Zone 6 | March to May | May to September |
| Zone 7 | February to May | April to September |
| Zone 8 | February to May | April to September |
| Zone 9 | January to November | March to December |
| Zone 10 | October to April | March to December |
Cook the harvest
A golden oven-finished frittata where chives aren't just a garnish — they're stirred through the egg base in such abundance that every slice is streaked with green and fragrant with their mild onion flavor. Dotted with creamy goat cheese that melts into soft pockets, this frittata is equally good warm from the oven, at room temperature at a picnic, or cold from the fridge the next day.
30 min · easyA simple compound butter made with softened unsalted butter, a generous amount of finely snipped fresh chives, a squeeze of lemon, and a pinch of flaky salt. Melt a slice over a hot steak, a baked potato, grilled fish, or roasted vegetables and it transforms everything it touches. This is the most fundamental and useful thing you can do with a bunch of chives from the garden.
10 min · easyThe classic French-American cold leek and potato soup, silky and rich, finished with a swirl of sour cream whipped through with a generous amount of fresh chives. The chives do double duty here — stirred through the cream topping and scattered over the surface — providing the only real freshness in what is otherwise a supremely comforting cold soup. Serve deeply chilled in small bowls as an elegant first course.
55 min · mediumA slow, gentle French-style scrambled egg where chives are not just a finishing sprinkle but folded through in abundance, their mild onion flavor running through every soft, creamy curd. The key is low heat and patience — these are eggs that take five minutes to cook but are worth every second. A simple breakfast that requires nothing more than good eggs, real butter, fresh chives, and some toast.
13 min · easyWatch for, and grow alongside
Companions: marigolds, nasturtium
Questions people ask
When do you sow Chives in the US?
Sow Chives from March to May in zone 6, earlier or later by zone. Plant out June, after the last frost.
How long does Chives take from sowing to harvest?
Roughly 60 days, with the harvest May to September.
Which Chives varieties do gardeners grow again?
Club members rate every variety they grow. This page shows the grow-again votes for Common Chives, Staro, Grolau, Polyvert and more.
Track your Chives from packet to plate
Sowing reminders and harvest forecasts for your own frost dates, the Seed Tin, Scan Centre for any label or packet, and the Potty Mouth Garden Club. Free to start.
Allotment keeper in the North East of England, the voice behind the Tony C Smith YouTube channel, and the gardener who built GrowMore CookMore. Club numbers on this page update as members log their plots. Last updated 3 September 2026.