How to Grow Chives USA
On this page
Chives will not survive below about 36°F (2°C), so timing follows your local last frost date rather than a fixed month.
This is a frost-tender crop — it will not survive below about 36°F (2°C) — so the growing year is built around starting it under cover and moving it out only once the risk of frost has passed.
The short answer
- Site
- soil pH 6–6.6
- Biggest risk
- Onion downy mildew
Core growing advice on this page is checked against named horticultural sources — see References.
Chives (Allium schoenoprasum)
10 sources cited · Verified
Soil & Growing Conditions
Soil pH range
Span reflects genuine variation between the cited authorities, not a single agreed figure.
Quick Facts
| Factor | Value |
|---|---|
| Soil pH | 6 - 6.6 |
| Optimal growing temp | 50-68°F (10-20°C) |
| Minimum survivable temp | 36°F (2°C) |
| Drainage | Chalk, Clay, Loam, Sand; moisture-retentive, well-drained soil |
| Lifecycle | herbaceous perennial |
| Edible parts | leaves, flowers |
At a Glance
Growth Stages
| Stage | BBCH | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Sowing or division | 0 | Sow indoors in early spring 0.5-1cm deep, or direct outdoors; thin seedlings to 15-20cm apart. Alternatively divide an established clump every three to four years, pulling it apart and replanting sections 15cm apart in spring or autumn -- much faster than starting from seed. RHS. |
| Establishment | 3 | A young clump bulks up through its first season; avoid heavy cutting until it is well established. RHS. |
| Cut-and-come-again cropping | 5 | Snip with scissors just above the base whenever leaves are needed, ideally in the morning -- the more often the plant is cut, the more new leaves it produces, right through spring to autumn. RHS. |
| Flowering & winter care | 6 | Decorative pompom flowerheads appear in late spring and summer and are themselves edible, scattered into salads. Established clumps die back for winter; potting one up and bringing it indoors onto a sunny windowsill extends the harvest through the cold months. RHS. |
Harvest & Storage
When to pick: Cut-and-come-again herb; snip leaves regularly from spring to autumn to encourage fresh growth
Diseases
Pests
Chives, Clump to Flower
Plan your Chives planting
When to sow and plant Chives depends on your own frost dates. Check the USA vegetable planting calendar. To work out where it fits in your beds, sketch your plot in the free Garden Layout Planner.
Growing Chives in another region
Sowing dates, frost timing and local advice differ by country. Use the guide for where you garden.
Sources
-
Herbaceous PERENNIAL, 1-1.5ft tall and wide. Full sun to partial shade (2-6+ hours); tolerates clay, loam, sand and shallow rocky soils with good drainage. Seed started indoors 8-10 weeks before the last frost or sown direct after it; clumps divided in spring or autumn. Clusters of 1/2-3/4in star-shaped pale purple flowers on hollow stems to 20in, in spring and summer; the flowers are fragrant and EDIBLE, used to garnish soups and salads. Harvest by clipping leaves off at the base once plants reach 6in, which keeps the clump looking well. "No serious problems", though root rot is a risk in poor drainage, and bulb mites and the usual onion pests are documented.
These source is specific to this region. The full list of 10 sources behind this guide (GBIF, NC State Extension, Royal Horticultural Society) is in the references of our UK guide to chives; they describe the plant itself, which is the same wherever it grows.
Frequently Asked Questions
What soil pH do chives need?
A pH of about 6–6.6. That span reflects genuine variation between the authorities we cite rather than a single agreed figure — the References section lists each source's exact range.
What problems affect chives?
Our data links 2 diseases and 4 pests to this crop. See the sections above for each one and how to manage it.
Plan next season before the problems start
Almost everything on this page resolves to your own frost dates rather than the calendar — the last spring frost moves by roughly two months between zone 3 and zone 10. The USA Garden Planner works from your zone so the timing is already decided before the season starts.
Get the USA Garden Planner →Instant PDF download · Written for US growing conditions
How this guide is put together
The growing data on this page — sowing windows, pests, diseases, soil and site requirements — comes from named horticultural sources, listed in References below, checked against USDA hardiness-zone and frost-date data, with Cooperative Extension sources cited directly where one exists for a crop. An automated pipeline assembles that verified data into the page you're reading: it selects which facts to lead with and builds the surrounding prose and layout. It does not invent a date, a source or a number — where a verified value for a field isn't available, the page leaves it out rather than guessing. A person reviews and publishes each page; nothing goes live unverified.
Last verified 2026-09-02
Where To Go From Here
Take this crop from reading into a written plan for your own beds.
Keep going
Plan the next step
Use the printable SoilCommander planner for your region to turn this guide into sowing dates, bed layouts and weekly garden tasks.