How to Grow Chives

I have found chives to be incredibly forgiving, recover quickly from cutting, and provide fresh flavour from early spring right through to autumn. Unlike many herbs that sulk in our unpredictable British weather, chives actually prefer cooler temperatures and won’t bolt at the first sign of a heatwave. What’s more, they’re perennial, meaning once established, they’ll return year after year without you lifting a finger which is why learning to grow chives should be in your arsenal.

The real beauty of chives lies in their versatility. They’re not just for sprinkling on baked potatoes (though they’re brilliant for that). I’ve found them indispensable in everything from scrambled eggs to potato salads, and their purple pompom flowers are completely edible and look gorgeous in summer salads. They also happen to be excellent companion plants, deterring aphids and other pests from nearby vegetables. If you’ve been put off growing herbs before because they seemed too demanding or short-lived, chives are the perfect place to start. They’re genuinely difficult to kill, will tolerate a fair bit of neglect, and reward you with fresh flavour whenever you need it. Let’s learn how to grow chives.

How to Grow Chives

Getting started with chives requires very little investment, which is part of their appeal. You won’t need specialist equipment or expensive materials, just a few basics that you might already have lying about. For more on this, see our guide on from windowsill to garden: a complete spring onion guide.

Seeds or Plants

You can start chives from seed or buy established plants. Seeds are considerably cheaper (a packet costs about two pounds and contains hundreds) but take longer to reach harvestable size, usually around three months. I’ve found that starting from seed is perfectly straightforward if you’ve got a bit of patience. Alternatively, you can buy small pots of chives from most garden centres or even the herb section of supermarkets. These give you instant gratification and can be divided to create multiple plants. If you know someone who already grows chives, ask if they’ll divide a clump for you in spring or autumn. Gardeners are usually generous with chives because they multiply so readily.

Containers or Growing Space

Chives adapt brilliantly to container growing, making them ideal for balconies, patios, or windowsills. If you’re going the container route, choose a pot at least 15-20cm deep with drainage holes in the bottom. Terracotta, plastic, or glazed ceramic all work fine. For garden planting, you’ll need a spot with reasonably well-drained soil. Chives aren’t particularly fussy about soil quality, but they won’t tolerate sitting in waterlogged conditions over winter. I grow mine both in pots near the kitchen door (for convenience) and in the herb bed, and both situations work equally well.

Compost and Materials

For container growing, use a decent multi-purpose compost mixed with a handful of grit or perlite to improve drainage. You don’t need specialist compost, just avoid anything that’s completely dried out or has been sitting open for months. If you’re planting in the ground, you won’t need to add much unless your soil is particularly heavy clay or pure sand. A bit of well-rotted compost or garden soil improver dug in beforehand helps, but it’s not essential. I’ve successfully grown chives in fairly ordinary soil without any amendments at all. You might also find from seed to harvest: growing chinese cabbage successfully helpful.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Starting from Seed

Sowing chive seeds is straightforward and can be done indoors from February onwards or directly outside from April once the worst frosts have passed. I prefer starting them indoors on a windowsill because it gives them a head start and you avoid the risk of slugs demolishing tiny seedlings. Fill small pots or module trays with seed compost, water it thoroughly, then sprinkle seeds thinly on the surface. Chive seeds need light to germinate, so just press them gently into the compost rather than burying them. Cover the pots with a clear plastic bag or propagator lid to maintain moisture.

Germination usually takes between one and two weeks at room temperature. Once seedlings appear, remove the covering and place them in a bright spot. When they’re about 5cm tall and have several grass-like leaves, you can pot them on into individual containers or plant them outside if conditions allow. I tend to plant several seedlings together in a small clump rather than individually, as this creates a fuller plant more quickly. Space clumps about 20-25cm apart if planting multiple groups.

Planting Established Chives

If you’ve bought or been given established chive plants, they can go straight into their final position as long as the ground isn’t frozen solid. The best times for planting are spring (March to May) or early autumn (September to October), though container-grown plants can go in almost any time if you keep them watered. Dig a hole roughly the same depth as the pot and twice as wide. Gently tease the plant out of its container, trying not to damage the roots too much, though chives are fairly robust and will forgive a bit of rough handling.

Place the plant in the hole so it sits at the same level it was growing in the pot, then backfill with soil and firm gently. Water it in well, even if the soil seems moist. If you’ve bought a supermarket pot of chives (which are often grown intensively and crowded), you can divide it into three or four sections using your hands or a knife. Each section will establish as a separate plant. This might seem brutal, but I’ve done this countless times and they always recover within a couple of weeks.

Choosing the Right Location

Chives are quite adaptable regarding light levels but perform best in a spot that gets at least four to six hours of sunlight daily. I’ve grown them successfully in partial shade, though they tend to grow a bit more slowly and produce fewer flowers. They’re not keen on deep shade under trees or in permanently dark corners. For container growing, a south-facing or west-facing windowsill works brilliantly indoors, while outdoors any reasonably sunny patio or balcony spot will do.

If you’re planting in the garden, consider putting chives near vegetables that benefit from their pest-deterrent properties. I’ve got mine bordering my carrot bed, where they help confuse carrot root fly. They also look lovely edging a path or flower border, especially when in bloom. Avoid planting them in spots where water pools after rain, particularly over winter when dormant plants can rot in soggy conditions.

Watering and Feeding

Chives prefer consistently moist soil but won’t tolerate waterlogging. During spring and summer when they’re actively growing, water whenever the top couple of centimetres of soil feels dry. Container-grown chives need more frequent watering than those in the ground, sometimes daily during hot spells. In my experience, it’s better to water thoroughly but less often rather than giving them frequent small drinks, as this encourages deeper root growth.

They’re not heavy feeders, but a light application of liquid feed every few weeks during the growing season keeps them productive. I use a general-purpose liquid fertiliser diluted to half strength, though you could also use compost tea or liquid seaweed. Avoid high-nitrogen feeds which encourage lots of leafy growth at the expense of flavour. In autumn and winter, reduce watering significantly and stop feeding altogether. Chives go dormant over winter in cold areas, dying back to ground level, and need very little moisture during this resting period.

Harvesting Your Chives

You can start harvesting chives once the plants are well-established with plenty of growth, usually about eight weeks after planting or three months from sowing seeds. The key to keeping chives productive is harvesting regularly and correctly. Always cut leaves from the outside of the clump using sharp scissors or secateurs, snipping them about 2-3cm above soil level. Never just pinch off the tops, as this leaves you with brown, damaged ends and reduces vigour.

I tend to harvest whole stems rather than partial ones, as this looks tidier and the plant responds better. Take no more than a third of the plant at any one time to allow it to recover properly. The leaves have the best flavour before the plant flowers, becoming slightly coarser once blooms appear, though they’re still perfectly usable. If you want maximum leaf production, remove flower buds as they form. However, I always let some flower because they’re beautiful, attract pollinators like mad, and you can eat the petals in salads.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Overwatering in Winter

The most common way people kill chives is by keeping them too wet during the dormant period. When temperatures drop and growth slows or stops completely, chives need far less water. I’ve seen numerous pots of soggy, rotting chives on windowsills where people have continued their summer watering routine right through winter. If you’re growing chives in containers, reduce watering dramatically from October onwards. The compost should be barely moist, almost on the dry side. Outdoor plants in the ground rarely need any supplementary watering during our typically wet British winters.

Harvesting Too Much Too Soon

It’s tempting to start snipping away at young chive plants, but they need time to establish a good root system before heavy harvesting. I’ve learned to be patient and wait until plants have a decent amount of growth before taking much. If you harvest too aggressively from small or newly planted chives, they struggle to recover and may weaken or even die. Give new plants at least a month to settle in before you start regular harvesting, and even then, take sparingly at first.

Letting Them Get Overcrowded

Chives multiply readily and can become overcrowded within a couple of years, particularly in containers. When clumps get too dense, the centre often dies out, leaving you with a ring of growth around dead material in the middle. Every three years or so, lift established clumps (either from pots or the ground) in spring or autumn, divide them into smaller sections, and replant with fresh compost or improved soil. This rejuvenates the plants and gives you extras to plant elsewhere or give away. I set a reminder to do this because it’s easy to forget until you notice declining vigour.

Ignoring Pest Problems

While chives are generally trouble-free, they can occasionally suffer from rust (a fungal disease causing orange spots on leaves) or leek moth damage. I’ve found that good air circulation prevents most fungal issues, so avoid overcrowding and ensure container-grown plants aren’t squashed together. If rust appears, remove affected leaves promptly and don’t compost them. Leek moth caterpillars can mine into leaves, though they’re less problematic on chives than on leeks themselves. Regular harvesting helps you spot and remove any affected growth before problems spread.

Expert Tips

Use Flowers Strategically

Chive flowers are absolutely brilliant in the kitchen and garden. The purple pompoms appear in late spring and early summer, and you can pull them apart into individual florets to scatter over salads, soups, or cream cheese. They have a mild onion flavour and look spectacular. I often make chive flower vinegar by steeping the flowers in white wine vinegar for a couple of weeks, which turns the most gorgeous pink colour. In the garden, the flowers are magnets for bees, hoverflies, and other beneficial insects. If you want continuous leaf production, remove flowers as they appear, but I always let at least some bloom for the pollinators and kitchen use.

Divide Regularly for Best Results

Even if your chives aren’t showing signs of decline, dividing them every two to three years keeps them vigorous and productive. Spring (March or April) or early autumn (September) are the best times. Simply dig up the entire clump, pull or cut it into sections with a decent root system attached to each, and replant them with more space. This might seem drastic, but chives respond brilliantly to this treatment. I’ve taken tired-looking clumps that hadn’t been divided in years, split them into quarters, replanted with fresh compost, and within weeks they looked completely rejuvenated.

Extend the Season with Protection

In milder parts of the UK, particularly coastal areas and the south, chives may remain semi-evergreen through winter with a bit of protection. I cover a pot with fleece or move it into an unheated greenhouse during the coldest months, which allows me to harvest small amounts even in January and February. The flavour isn’t as strong as summer growth, but it’s still useful when fresh herbs are scarce. You can also pot up a clump in autumn and bring it indoors to a cool windowsill, which forces it into producing fresh growth for winter harvesting.

Companion Planting Benefits

Beyond their culinary value, chives earn their place in the vegetable garden as companion plants. I grow them near carrots, tomatoes, and roses because their oniony scent confuses pests like aphids, carrot fly, and Japanese beetles (though the latter aren’t common here). The flowers attract hoverflies whose larvae devour aphids, providing natural pest control. They’re also said to improve the flavour of tomatoes when grown nearby, though I can’t say I’ve noticed a dramatic difference. What I have noticed is that rose bushes interplanted with chives seem to suffer less from blackspot and aphid infestations.

Freeze for Year-Round Supply

Fresh chives are obviously best, but they freeze surprisingly well if you want to preserve summer’s abundance. I chop them finely and freeze in ice cube trays covered with water or olive oil. Once frozen, pop the cubes into freezer bags and use as needed. They won’t have the same texture as fresh for garnishing, but work brilliantly in cooked dishes, omelettes, and sauces. This way, even when your outdoor plants have died back for winter, you’ve got home-grown chives on hand.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I grow chives indoors year-round?

You can grow chives indoors, but they actually benefit from a cold period each winter to complete their natural cycle. If kept warm all year on a kitchen windowsill, they often weaken over time and produce less vigorous growth. For best results, I recommend keeping them outdoors or in an unheated space during winter, allowing them to go dormant, then bringing them back into warmth in early spring. If you must keep them indoors permanently, choose the coolest windowsill available and accept that they may need replacing every year or so as they lose vigour.

Why have my chives stopped growing and turned yellow?

Yellowing chives usually indicate either waterlogging, nutrient deficiency, or natural dormancy. Check the soil moisture first. If it’s constantly soggy, improve drainage by adding grit to container compost or choosing a better-drained spot in the garden. If drainage isn’t the issue and it’s during the growing season, try feeding with a balanced liquid fertiliser. Sometimes chives yellow simply because they’re entering dormancy in autumn, which is completely normal. They’ll die back to ground level over winter and reappear in spring. Older leaves naturally yellow and die off too, so remove these to keep plants tidy and encourage fresh growth.

How do I stop chives from taking over my garden?

Chives spread by dividing at the roots rather than by runners or seeds (unless you let them self-seed), so they’re not aggressively invasive like mint. However, established clumps do expand steadily and can self-seed if you allow flowers to go to seed. To control spread, deadhead flowers before they set seed and divide clumps every few years, discarding excess divisions or potting them up to give away. If you’re worried about containment, growing them in pots is the simplest solution. I’ve never found chives to be problematic spreaders compared to other herbs, and they’re easily controlled with occasional division.

What’s the difference between chives and garlic chives?

Regular chives (Allium schoenoprasum) have hollow, cylindrical leaves and purple flowers with a mild onion flavour. Garlic chives (Allium tuberosum), also called Chinese chives, have flat, solid leaves and white star-shaped flowers with a distinct garlic flavour. Both are easy to grow in the UK using similar methods, though garlic chives are slightly more tolerant of shade and heat. I grow both because they offer different flavours for cooking. Regular chives are better for delicate dishes and garnishes, whilst garlic chives work brilliantly in stir-fries and Asian-inspired dishes. You can’t really substitute one for the other as the flavours are quite distinct.

When should I cut chives back?

You can harvest chives throughout the growing season by cutting individual leaves as needed, but it’s also beneficial to give them a complete haircut once or twice during summer. After flowering, I cut the entire plant back to about 5cm above soil level, which encourages fresh, tender new growth and prevents the clump from becoming straggly. This hard cutting back works well in midsummer (July) and can be repeated in late summer if growth is vigorous. The plant recovers quickly, usually producing new leaves within a couple of weeks. In autumn, you can either let chives die back naturally or tidy them by removing dead foliage once it’s completely brown.

Can I grow chives in shade?

Chives tolerate partial shade better than many herbs, though they won’t thrive in deep, permanent shade. I’ve grown them successfully in spots that receive only three to four hours of direct sunlight, particularly morning sun. They grow more slowly in shade and produce fewer flowers, but still provide perfectly usable leaves for the kitchen. If shade is your only option, it’s worth trying them, especially in the dappled shade under fruit trees or on a north-facing wall that gets some reflected light. They definitely won’t work in the dark corner under evergreen shrubs or dense tree canopies where nothing much grows.

Making the Most of Your Chive Harvest

Growing chives successfully is only half the story. The real pleasure comes from using them in the kitchen and making the most of this versatile herb. I’ve found that chives work best when added at the last moment to dishes rather than cooked for long periods, as heat diminishes their delicate flavour. They’re brilliant stirred through mashed potatoes, scattered over soups just before serving, or mixed into soft cheeses and dips.

One of my favourite ways to preserve chives is making chive butter. Simply mix finely chopped chives into softened butter, roll into a log in greaseproof paper, and freeze. You can then slice off rounds as needed to melt over grilled fish, steaks, or vegetables. The flowers shouldn’t be wasted either. I use them whole as a garnish for canapés or pull them apart to scatter the individual florets, which look like tiny purple confetti and add subtle onion flavour.

If you find yourself with more chives than you can use fresh, remember they dry poorly but freeze excellently. They also make a decent pesto when blended with nuts, garlic, oil, and hard cheese, though you’ll need to mix them with other herbs like parsley as chives alone can be a bit overpowering. The key is harvesting them regularly, which keeps the plant productive and ensures you always have fresh, tender leaves rather than tough, older growth.

Author: Megan Walker

Megan focuses on seasonal food, kitchen garden growing, and how households can reconnect with where their food comes from. Her writing blends practical growing advice with ideas for cooking and eating in season. With a passion for fresh ingredients and sustainable living, Megan’s articles help readers make the most of local produce while supporting British farms.