Whether you garden in the ground, in raised beds, on the windowsill, or anywhere else, chives are a great addition or re-addition to your plant family. Read on for simple, straightforward specifics about growing chives.
Jump to:
Family | Container Size | Good Companions | Bad Companions | Soil Conditions | Germination | Sun | Water | Temperature Range | Height | Lifespan | Reproduction | Yield Per Plant | Ingestibility | Further Reading
What Family Do Chives Belong To?
Chives (Allium schoenoprasum) belong to the Alliaceae family, also known as the allium or onion family.
Some of their relatives include garlic, leeks, and shallots.
What Size Container Should I Use for Growing Chives?
The minimum container depth recommended for chives is 4 inches.
The minimum container width recommended for chives is 8 inches. Chives do not have particularly deep roots, but they like to spread out.
Learn more in our Choosing the Right Planter for Your Container Garden article here.
What Are Good Companion Plants for Chives?
Some of chives' best companions are as follows:
- Carrot
- Fennel
- Dill
- Cilantro
- Parsley
- Parsnip
- Angelica
- Toothache plant
- Blackberry
- Tomato, whose flavor is improved by chives
- Broccoli, radish, and other Brassicas
You may notice that several of these are in the Apiaceae (carrot) family. This is because chives repel carrot fly, a common pest of the family.
What Are Bad Companion Plants for Chives?
Chives are not compatible with every plant. Some things to avoid planting with chives are as follows:
- Peas
- Beans like green beans
What Soil Conditions Do Chives Need?
Chives prefer rich, well-draining soil.
How Long Do Chives Take to Germinate?
Chives take 1-3 weeks to germinate at a temperature of 65-80°F.
How Much Sun Do Chives Need?
Chives can grow in full sun to part shade.
In other words, they grow fastest in full sun. They will still grow in dappled shade or part shade, just at a slower rate.
Sun recommendations can vary by region, and chives grown in hot areas or in warmer conditions than the ideal temperature range noted below may need more shade.
How Much Water Do Chives Need?
Chives should be watered when the top 0.5 inch of soil is dry. This usually amounts to about 1 inch of water per week, but it depends on weather conditions.
The water is best divided into 1-2 watering sessions per week.
What Is the Ideal Temperature Range for Growing Chives?
Chives grow fastest in temperatures of 55-75°F.
This is their ideal temperature range. Although they will grow in temperatures both cooler and warmer than this range, growth could be slower or even stunted.
Minimum and maximum temperatures will vary by variety. Some varieties of chives are bred for longer harvests and others for warmer climates.
How Tall Do Chives Get?
The average height of chives is 10-15 inches.
Are Chives Annual, Biennial, or Perennial?
Chives are perennial herbs, meaning that they live for longer than a couple years.
How Do Chives Reproduce?
Chives reproduce by seed.
They can also be propagated by root division.
How Many Chives Are Produced Per Plant?
Each stalk of chives contains 1 flower. Both the flower and the stalk can then be harvested.
Chives grow in a clump of stalks. The number of stalks depends on the size and maturity of the plant, but it is usually around 4-6 stalks per plant.
Can Chives Be Ingested?
Chives' stalks and flowers are edible.
Chives have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties and can be used in herbal preparations. The most common preparations are tea and herbal vinegar, but they can be made into a tincture as well. An herb:solvent weight ratio of 1:3 at 40% alcohol is suggested for a chives tincture.
There are no known safety concerns associated with ingesting chives.
Further Reading
This article is intended as a quick-reference guide for gardeners. Consult your seed packet or seed catalog for variety-specific information.
When you have a bumper crop of chives rolling in, you may not have enough time for long, complicated recipes or many-step preservation procedures. Check out my article on quick, simple uses for chives here!
Chives are featured in these Plant to Plate articles: