Common, Chive Seeds

Common Chives Seed

Fresh onion flavor from an exceptionally dependable perennial herb
Slender leaves regrow after regular cutting
Compact clumps expand gradually without overwhelming beds
Ideal for eggs, potatoes, dips, and salads

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Key Attributes

Botanical Name

Allium schoenoprasum

Days to maturity

75 Days

Sun

Full Sun

Packet

500 Seeds

Zones 3–9 Check your growing zone

About Common, Chives Seed, Chives Seed

The Chive is a widely known herb that produces flat, solid leaves with a wonderfully pungent flavor that is similar to onions. This plant can grows as high as 1.5' feet and 12" inches wide.

Growing details

Planting

Sow Depth

1/4"

Days to Germination

7–14 days

In-row plant spacing

18"

Plant profile

Life Cycle

Perennial

Hardiness Zone

Zones 3-9

Plant Height

18 inches

Growth Habits

Clumping, Upright

Seed & variety

Seeds Per Ounce

19,400

Color

Green

Seed Type

Open Pollinated

Before Planting

For Chives, select a full-sun to lightly shaded site with fertile, well-drained soil that retains moderate moisture. Work compost into the bed and prepare a fine, weed-free surface for the usually small seed. Plan convenient irrigation, and use containers or barriers before planting if chives may spread aggressively.

Planting

Sow chives indoors several weeks before the last frost or direct sow when the crop’s preferred soil temperature is reached. Maintain even surface moisture through germination, especially for fine or slow seed. Give indoor seedlings strong light, harden them before transplanting, and thin direct-sown plants after true leaves appear. Repeat sowings where young leaves are harvested continuously.

Watering

Chives grows best with even moisture. Water deeply during dry periods, allowing only slight surface drying between applications, and ensure containers or beds drain freely.

Fertilizer

Chives benefits from moderate feeding when repeatedly harvested. Apply diluted balanced fertilizer or compost between cuttings, following label rates and avoiding soluble-salt buildup.

Harvesting

Clip chives during the cool morning when foliage is dry and aromatic oils are concentrated. Harvest leaves before full bloom, leaving enough healthy growth for the plant to recover.

Tips

Grow extra chives plants for succession harvests and pinch stems above leaf nodes. Allow a few flowers for pollinators or seed, but remove the rest to preserve leaf quality.

Pests & Diseases

Downy mildew, rust, Botrytis leaf blight, and white rot affect chives and other alliums. Orange pustules indicate rust; white rot causes yellowing and cottony growth around roots. Divide congested clumps, remove dying foliage, and never move bulbs or soil from a white-rot-infested bed.

Monitor chives for aphids, mites, whiteflies, leafminers, and slugs. Remove badly infested stems, maintain weed control, and select treatments labeled for edible herbs when intervention is necessary.