Growing Chives, also Garden chives

Allium schoenoprasum : Amaryllidaceae / the onion family

Jan F M A M J J A S O N Dec
S S S S S S S S S S S S
T T T T T T T T T T T T
P P P P P P P P P P P P

(Best months for growing Chives in Australia - sub-tropical regions)

  • S = Plant undercover in seed trays
  • T = Plant out (transplant) seedlings
  • P = Sow seed
  • Easy to grow. Sow in garden. Sow seed at a depth approximately three times the diameter of the seed. Best planted at soil temperatures between 50°F and 86°F. (Show °C/cm)
  • Space plants: 2 inches apart
  • Harvest in 7-11 weeks.
  • Compatible with (can grow beside): Carrots, Tomatoes, Parsley, Apples
  • Chive flowers (foreground)

Grass-like leaves in clumps. Likes full sun but not too dry.

Chives are a perennial but die down in winter. You can dig up a small clump to pot up for indoor use in winter.

Remove flowers to encourage a continuous supply of leaves.

If weeding gets away from you, you can easily distinguish chives from grass because chives have a hollow leaf stem and onion smell.

Culinary hints - cooking and eating Chives

Use raw in salads or as a mild onion flavour in cooked dishes.

Your comments and tips

Post a comment or question Display Newest first | Oldest first, Show comments for Australia | for all countries
09 May 24, asha day (Australia - temperate climate)
i cant see how much water chives need. please put this info in!
Reply or Post a new comment
11 May 24, (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Do you live in the tropics or the mountains. Is it summer or winter. Do you know the difference between dry and over watered. Why not just give it a go and work it out.
Reply or Post a new comment
21 Feb 24, Jen P (Australia - temperate climate)
I’ve been trying to grow chives in potting mix for vegetables since last August. Not one sprout. I’m hoping this round will yield something. I’ve grown them before and they grew like crazy. Using the seeds from what I grew.
Reply or Post a new comment
26 Feb 24, Gary (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
I have found commercial potting mixes to be a dicy and unreliable investment. I think that some are contaminated. The more expensive the worse. They seem to cause low growth rate or no growth at all. Also you need to prepare the soil at least Three month ahead.
Reply or Post a new comment
08 Oct 22, Peter Chapman (Australia - temperate climate)
Chives. I have had my chives in the garden bed for about 6 months. They are growing well, but are prostrate, and falling all over the ground. I have grown chives successfully in previous gardens. Any idea why my chives are not upstanding?
Reply or Post a new comment
17 Dec 22, Peter Chapman (Australia - temperate climate)
Disregard my last posting - Chives are now booming
Reply or Post a new comment
09 May 18, Fish (Canada - Zone 2b Sub-Arctic climate)
Yes they are, when I started my garden they where sustaineable and string. Good tucka.
Reply or Post a new comment
30 Sep 16, Balvinder Singh (Australia - tropical climate)
Are wild chives and onion weed the same?
Reply or Post a new comment
03 Sep 16, Detlef (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
The black creatures you have seen on your chives are a type of aphid. Here in Tassie I have had them on spring onions, Garlic chives and chives. They can be gotten rid of with any food crop safe organic mild insecticide. I have used a white oil insecticide with great success. Cheers
Reply or Post a new comment
02 Mar 15, Kate a (Australia - temperate climate)
I've planted a herb garden about three months ago and everything is going well except my chives! They're yellow at the tips and keep dying every time there is new growth
Reply or Post a new comment
Showing 1 - 10 of 34 comments
See comments for all plants

Ask a question or post a comment or advice about Chives

Please provide your email address if you are hoping for a reply


All comments are reviewed before displaying on the site, so your posting will not appear immediately

Gardenate App

Put Gardenate in your pocket. Get our app for iPhone, iPad or Android to add your own plants and record your plantings and harvests

Planting Reminders

Join 60,000+ gardeners who already use Gardenate and subscribe to the free Gardenate planting reminders email newsletter.


Home | Vegetables and herbs to plant | Climate zones | About Gardenate | Contact us | Privacy Policy

This planting guide is a general reference intended for home gardeners. We recommend that you take into account your local conditions in making planting decisions. Gardenate is not a farming or commercial advisory service. For specific advice, please contact your local plant suppliers, gardening groups, or agricultural department. The information on this site is presented in good faith, but we take no responsibility as to the accuracy of the information provided.
We cannot help if you are overrun by giant slugs.