Growing Chives, also Garden chives

Allium schoenoprasum : Amaryllidaceae / the onion family

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

(Best months for growing Chives in New Zealand - cool/mountain regions)

  • 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 10°C and 30°C. (Show °F/in)
  • Space plants: 5 cm 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 New Zealand | for all countries
25 Sep 24, Nicholl (Canada - Zone 4b Temperate Warm Summer climate)
Will chives come back the next year if planted in a raised garden bed?
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09 May 24, asha day (Australia - temperate climate)
i cant see how much water chives need. please put this info in!
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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.
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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.
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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.
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03 Oct 23, Robert (USA - Zone 7a climate)
If I plant in October when will they be ready to harvest and once they die out in the winter will they grow again in the spring?
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08 Oct 23, (USA - Zone 7a climate)
They will be ready to harvest 7-11 weeks later, so in December/January The roots are still alive and they will begin new growth next spring.
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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?
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17 Dec 22, Peter Chapman (Australia - temperate climate)
Disregard my last posting - Chives are now booming
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18 Apr 20, amy (New Zealand - sub-tropical climate)
is garlic chives grown like chives? is it too late to grow garlic chives now is mid autumn?
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Showing 1 - 10 of 48 comments
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I have planted garlic chives around my cool climate garden. Garlic chives have flat leaves about 20 cm tall and grows as clumps. It is hardy and easily broken into smaller clumps as spot fillers. I pull a leaf or two and chew them as I garden. The 8 month season finishes and the plant goes into winter dormacy. It seems hardly affected by frost and after drying to straw in winter, it comes back fresh and green as a background plant in any garden. the 40 cm tall flower stem and seed pod is easily clutched and pulled out as part of winter tidy up.

- Graham

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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. GardenGrow 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.
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