Chives
Herb · cool season
When to plant
- Start seeds indoors about 8 weeks before planting out.
- Plant outdoors about 3 weeks before your average last spring frost.
- Ready to harvest about 60 days after planting out.
Cut leaves to 2 in above soil. Flowers are edible.
Frost dates depend on where you live. Enter your ZIP code to get exact dates.
Dates by zone: 3a 3b 4a 4b 5a 5b 6a 6b 7a 7b 8a 8b 9a 9b 10a 10b
Growing basics
Harmful to pets. Every part is toxic to cats and dogs, raw or cooked. It damages their red blood cells.
- Sun
- Part sun (4–6 hours)
- Spacing
- 8 in
- Soil temperature
- At least 45°F
- Time to harvest
- About 60 days
- Containers
- At least 1 gallons
- Plant family
- Onion family (alliums)
- Harvest per plant
- About 0.3 lb
- Seeds keep
- About 1 year
Companions
Keep apart: the bean and pea family (legumes). Onions and garlic can stunt beans and peas.
Keep apart: Asparagus. Onions and garlic can stunt asparagus.
Keep apart: Horseradish. Horseradish spreads aggressively. Give it its own spot.
Keep apart: Mint. Mint spreads aggressively into neighbors. Keep it in a pot.
Keep apart: Fennel (bulb). Fennel slows the growth of most garden plants. Grow it on its own.
Keep apart: Sunchoke (Jerusalem artichoke). Sunchokes spread aggressively and shade neighbors.
Grow it well
Tips
- Grow herbs by the kitchen door. You'll use them far more if you can step out and snip some while dinner cooks. Basil, parsley, chives, and thyme all do well in pots.
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