Allium schoenoprasum
Chives are the most self-sufficient herb in the garden. Hardy perennials that return reliably every year, producing fine hollow stems with a delicate onion flavour from early spring through to late autumn. The purple pompom flowers are edible, beautiful, and beloved by bees. Garlic chives offer a gentler garlic note; Giant Siberian adds bold architectural presence. Plant them once and they will reward you for decades with minimal attention.
Chives deserve their reputation as the gardener's most reliable herb. They ask for almost nothing — a reasonable soil, occasional water, and a cut-back two or three times a year — and deliver months of mild, versatile onion flavour that works in salads, omelettes, soups, and as a garnish for almost anything savoury. Garlic chives are a different plant with flat leaves and white flowers, offering a gentler garlic note perfect for Asian cooking. Forescate is the choice if maximum leaf production is the priority. Giant Siberian and the ornamental forms add beauty as well as flavour.
The number of varieties shown for each crop is based on UK consumption data (2025/26) — the more popular the crop, the more variety choices we include.
Fine, hollow stems with a clean, mild onion flavour. Purple globe flowers in June are edible and beautiful. The most widely grown and versatile variety — equally at home in cooking, as a garnish, or as an ornamental edging plant. Extremely hardy and reliably perennial.
A different species (Allium tuberosum) with flat, broader leaves and a gentle garlic rather than onion flavour. White, star-shaped flowers in late summer. Essential in Chinese and Japanese cooking. Excellent raw in noodle dishes, dumplings, and stir-fries. Less hardy than common chives — mulch in cold winters.
Allium ledebourianum — a larger, more robust species with thick, substantial hollow leaves and a strong onion flavour. Significantly more impressive in the garden than common chives. Large pale purple flower heads. Very hardy. Excellent where bold architectural presence is wanted alongside good flavour.
A variety selected specifically for maximum leaf production and flavour. Vigorous, upright growth with long, fine leaves. Recovers fast after cutting and maintains productivity throughout the season. The top choice for kitchen gardeners who want maximum yield from minimum space. Purple flowers.
A beautiful cultivar with soft pink-mauve flower heads rather than the typical deep purple. The flavour is identical to common chives. Excellent as an ornamental edging plant. Flowers are just as attractive to bees as the standard form. Grows and behaves exactly like common chives.
Produces elegant white pompom flowers rather than purple, making it a striking ornamental form. Leaf flavour is the same as common chives. The white flowers are beautiful in salads and as garnishes where a subtle visual contrast is wanted. Works well planted alongside common chives and Pink Perfection for a colour sequence.
Common chives are available as seeds from all major UK seed suppliers and as plug plants from most garden centres in spring. Forescate is available from specialist vegetable and herb seed suppliers. Garlic chives are widely sold as seed. Giant Siberian, Pink Perfection, and White Perfection are best sought from specialist herb nurseries. All varieties can be obtained as divisions from other gardeners — chives divide so freely that a single established clump can provide dozens of new plants.
Chives thrive in border conditions and make excellent edging plants along vegetable or herb beds. They are one of the few herbs that genuinely tolerates part shade, making them useful under taller crops or against a north-facing fence. Plant in clumps of 5–7 plants for visual impact and productive harvesting.
Chives grow well in containers and are an excellent choice for patio herb pots. Use a pot at least 20cm wide and fill with good peat-free compost. Container chives may need dividing annually and benefit from regular liquid feeding to compensate for the restricted root run.
Chives are said to deter aphids and improve tomatoes' disease resistance when grown nearby.
Chives' oniony scent is thought to help mask carrots from carrot root fly.
Both are low-maintenance perennial herbs that thrive in similar free-draining soil.
Fill module trays or small pots with moist seed compost. Sow 6–8 seeds per module — chives grow happily as a clump from the start and do not need single-seed sowing. Press seeds lightly into the surface.
Cover seeds with a fine layer of vermiculite or compost — just 5mm. Place on a warm windowsill or in a propagator at 15–18°C. Germination takes 10–14 days. Chives are slower than many herbs — be patient.
Once germinated, move to a bright windowsill. Chive seedlings are grass-like and thin — they need good light to avoid becoming weak and leggy. Do not over-water; allow the surface to dry slightly between waterings.
Unlike most crops, chive seedlings in modules do not need thinning. The whole clump of 6–8 plants will be planted out together and grow as a productive multi-stemmed clump from the start.
Plant out entire module clumps when roots fill the module and plants are 5–8cm tall. Space clumps 20–25cm apart. Firm in well and water. The clump will establish quickly and can be lightly harvested within 4–6 weeks.
Begin harvesting when stems are 15cm tall by cutting the whole clump to 5cm above ground with scissors. Do not be timid — this cut-back stimulates the strongest, most vigorous regrowth. The clump will regrow fully in 3–4 weeks.
| Region | Sow / plant | Harvest | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scotland & Far North | Apr–May | Jun–Oct | Apr · Plant: May · Harvest: Jun–Oct |
| Northern England | Mar–May | May–Nov | Mar–Apr · Plant: Apr–May · Harvest: May–Nov |
| Midlands & Wales | Mar–Apr | May–Nov | Mar · Plant: Apr · Harvest: May–Nov |
| Ireland & Isle of Man | Mar–Apr | May–Nov | Mar · Plant: Apr · Harvest: May–Nov |
| South & SE England | Feb–Apr | Apr–Nov | Feb–Mar · Plant: Mar–Apr · Harvest: Apr–Nov |
| South Coast & SW | Feb–Apr | Apr–Nov | Feb–Mar · Plant: Mar–Apr · Harvest: Apr–Nov |
Dig up an established chive clump in early spring as new shoots emerge. Use a fork to loosen the roots — chive roots are dense and fibrous. One established clump can be divided into 6–10 new plants.
Pull the clump apart by hand or cut with a sharp knife into sections, each containing 5–8 shoots with a good root section attached. Discard any dead or completely dry material from the centre.
Replant divisions at the same depth they were growing, 20–25cm apart. Firm in well. Water thoroughly. Divisions establish within days and will be ready to harvest much faster than seed-grown plants.
Water daily for the first two weeks while divisions re-establish. Once you see new upright growth, the division has taken successfully. After 2 weeks, normal watering (only in dry spells) is sufficient.
Allow 4 weeks after dividing before the first harvest. This gives the clump time to build a strong root system. The first cut after division often produces the most vigorous, tender growth of the season.
With 6+ clumps, cut one section of the garden back at a time on a 3-week rotation. This gives a constant supply of young, fresh chive growth throughout the season rather than a glut followed by a gap.
| Region | Sow / plant | Harvest | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scotland & Far North | Apr–May | Jun–Oct | N/A · Plant: Apr–May · Harvest: Jun–Oct |
| Northern England | Mar–Apr | Apr–Nov | N/A · Plant: Mar–Apr · Harvest: Apr–Nov |
| Midlands & Wales | Mar–Apr | Apr–Nov | N/A · Plant: Mar–Apr · Harvest: Apr–Nov |
| Ireland & Isle of Man | Mar–Apr | Apr–Nov | N/A · Plant: Mar–Apr · Harvest: Apr–Nov |
| South & SE England | Mar | Apr–Nov | N/A · Plant: Mar · Harvest: Apr–Nov |
| South Coast & SW | Feb–Mar | Mar–Nov | N/A · Plant: Feb–Mar · Harvest: Mar–Nov |
Chives do not require a heated propagator — they germinate reliably at 15°C on a bright windowsill. A propagator is useful in February for an early start, maintaining the 15–18°C needed for good germination when rooms are still cold. By March, a warm windowsill is entirely sufficient.
An unheated propagator on a warm windowsill is adequate from March onwards. Chives germinate reliably at 15°C without bottom heat once spring arrives. Keep the lid on until seedlings emerge, then remove promptly to prevent damping off.
Standard unheated propagator — A lidded seed tray traps warmth and humidity around germinating seeds without electricity. Performance depends entirely on room temperature — best placed on a warm windowsill and used from March onwards. Replace the lid promptly after watering. Remove it completely the moment seedlings emerge to prevent damping off.
Fill modules with seed compost and sow 6–8 seeds per cell. Cover with 5mm of compost or vermiculite. The multi-seed method means each cell produces a ready-made clump.
Set the propagator to 15–18°C or use an unheated propagator in a warm room. Close the lid to maintain humidity. Check daily for germination — chives take 10–14 days.
Once the characteristic grass-like shoots appear, open the lid and increase ventilation. Move to a bright windowsill. Do not allow the lid to stay closed once seedlings are up — damping off occurs rapidly in stagnant humid air.
Do not thin the seedlings — the whole cell of 6–8 seedlings will be planted as one productive clump. Grow on in good light until the module is full of roots, then plant out.
Plant out entire module plugs when roots are visible at the base and plants are 5–8cm tall. Plant at 20–25cm spacing and firm in well. First harvest in 4–6 weeks.
Cut the entire clump back to 5cm above ground 2–3 times per growing season. This is the single most important maintenance task for chives. Each cut-back triggers a flush of fresh, tender new growth that is more flavourful than old stems. The first cut-back should happen before flowering if maximum leaf production is the goal, or after flowering if you want to enjoy the flowers and feed the bees.
The purple pompom flowers are edible, beautiful, and magnets for bees. Leave some to flower for wildlife and for use as a garnish in salads — separated into individual florets, they are one of the most decorative edible flowers in the herb garden. Deadhead flowers before they set seed to prevent excessive self-seeding, which can become weedy over time. After flowering, cut the whole clump back hard to encourage a second flush of leaves.
Divide chive clumps every 2–3 years in early spring. Lift the whole clump, split into sections of 5–8 shoots each, discard the woody central material, and replant the vigorous outer sections. This rejuvenates the plant, maintains productivity, and provides new plants for elsewhere in the garden. Clumps left undivided for many years become congested and produce fewer, thinner stems.
Chives are largely trouble-free. Downy mildew can appear in very humid conditions — cut affected clumps back hard, improve airflow, and avoid overhead watering. Onion white rot can occasionally affect chives in soils where alliums have been grown repeatedly in the same spot — rotate if this becomes a problem.
Full identification and treatment advice is in the Pests and Diseases sections.
Freshly cut chives keep well for 5–7 days wrapped in a damp paper towel inside a sealed bag in the fridge. Alternatively, stand cut stems upright in a small glass of water on the worktop — they stay fresh for 3–4 days at room temperature. Cut only what you need from the garden; chives are far more useful growing in the garden than sitting in the fridge.
Chives freeze excellently and this is the best method for preserving a large harvest. Wash and dry the stems, then snip into 1cm lengths directly into ice cube trays. Top up with a little water and freeze. Transfer frozen cubes to a labelled bag. Drop directly into soups, sauces, and omelettes from frozen — no defrosting needed. Frozen chives retain their flavour well for up to 6 months.
Chive flowers turn white wine vinegar a vivid pink and give it a gentle onion flavour. This beautiful pink vinegar is excellent in salad dressings, mayonnaise, and as a finishing vinegar for fish. Follow a tested recipe.
Pot up a small clump in autumn and bring indoors — chives will continue producing fresh leaves on a bright windowsill throughout winter when the outdoor plants are dormant.
💡 Use chive flowers to make a striking pink flower vinegar — one of the most beautiful and useful condiments you can make from the herb garden.
💡 Grow chives at the base of rose bushes — they are reputed to deter aphids, and the combination of purple pompoms with rose flowers is genuinely beautiful.