How to grow Chives in Australia
Chives (Allium schoenoprasum) are a small, clumping perennial herb with hollow, grass-like leaves and a mild onion flavour, plus pretty, edible mauve flower heads. They are one of the easiest herbs to grow in a pot or garden edge, and the more you cut them, the more they grow. Clumps die back or slow down in the coldest weather and return in spring.
📖 Our full guide: How to Grow Chives in Australia
At a glance
When to sow by region
| Region | When to sow | Regional note |
|---|---|---|
| South East Queensland | All year | |
| Northern Rivers NSW | All year | |
| Sydney & Coastal NSW | All year | |
| Melbourne & Victoria | March to September | Frost-hardy perennial. Melbourne ideal. Extend window; can divide year-round. |
| Adelaide & SA | March to May, September to November | Sow or divide clumps Mar to May or Sep to Nov. Chives rest in midwinter and seedlings struggle in midsummer heat. |
| Perth & WA | March to October | Sow or divide clumps Mar to Oct. Keep them watered through summer; clumps thin out in heat on dry sand. |
| Tasmania | September to March | Sow or divide Sep to Mar. Hardy perennial, dormant midwinter. |
| Canberra & ACT | All year | Chives are very cold-hardy perennial; plant anytime; divide clumps periodically for rejuvenation. |
| North Queensland | All year | Year-round perennial herb. Grow it in a pot or a lightly shaded spot and keep it watered; garlic chives are better suited to tropical gardens. |
| Darwin & Top End | All year | Year-round perennial herb. Grow it in a pot or a lightly shaded spot and keep it watered; garlic chives are better suited to tropical gardens. |
Not to be confused with: Garlic chives (Allium tuberosum), which have flat leaves, white flowers and a garlic flavour, and spring onions, which are a different onion grown for the whole stem.
Where to plant
Grow chives in sun or part shade in fertile, moisture-retentive soil that does not become waterlogged. They suit pots, garden edges and the front of vegie beds. In hot inland and western areas, part shade in the afternoon and regular water stop clumps thinning out over summer.
Chives are frost hardy and rest in the coldest part of winter in cool climates.
- Melbourne and Canberra: sow or plant from autumn to spring; clumps can be divided most of the year.
- Adelaide: sow or divide in March to May or September to November. Chives rest in midwinter and seedlings struggle in midsummer heat.
- Perth: sow or divide from March to October, and keep clumps watered through summer.
- Hobart: sow or divide from September to March; clumps are dormant in midwinter.
- Sydney, South East Queensland and the Northern Rivers: sow or divide in autumn and spring, giving some afternoon shade in summer.
- North Queensland and Darwin: grow in a pot or a lightly shaded spot and keep watered; garlic chives are well suited to tropical gardens.
How to plant
- Sow seed 5 mm to 1 cm deep in punnets or direct, and keep moist; seedlings appear in about two weeks.
- Plant out small clumps of seedlings when they are about 10 cm tall, 15 to 20 cm apart, at the same depth they were growing.
- Or start faster from a division: dig up part of an established clump and replant it.
- Water in and keep moist until established.
Watering and feeding
Water new plants in dry spells. Established clumps in the ground need watering only in long dry periods, but pots need regular water through the growing season. An occasional light feed of liquid fertiliser after heavy cutting keeps leaves coming.
Pruning and care through the year
- Cut regularly; the more often you harvest, the more new leaves grow.
- Remove flower heads if you want to keep the energy in the leaves, or leave some for the bees and to eat.
- Lift and divide clumps every three or four years to stop them becoming crowded and keep them vigorous.
Harvesting
Snip leaves with scissors just above the base whenever you need them, ideally in the morning. Cut whole clumps back to a few centimetres and they regrow quickly. Use chives fresh and raw, as cooking dulls the flavour.
Pick newly opened flower heads and pull them apart to scatter the tiny flowers over salads and dishes.
Growing in pots
Chives are one of the best herbs for pots. Use a pot at least 15 to 20 cm wide and deep with a quality potting mix, water regularly and feed lightly. In cool areas a pot on a sunny windowsill keeps leaves coming through winter.
Dividing clumps
Dig up an established clump in autumn or spring, pull or cut it into smaller clumps of several bulbs each, and replant them straight away. Divisions give harvestable plants far sooner than seed.
Companion planting
Chives are a classic edging herb in the vegie patch, and their flowers bring in bees.
Good companions
- Carrot Chives and carrots are a traditional pairing that fit together along a bed.
- Tomato A small herb that fits around the base of tomato plants, with flowers bees like.
Keep apart
Avoid planting these close to chives.
- Beans Onion relatives are traditionally said to slow the growth of beans.
Pests and diseases
Chives are rarely troubled by pests. Rust and downy mildew can mark the leaves in damp weather.
Pests to watch for
- Aphids Small insects clustered at the base of leaves.
- Thrips Silvery streaks on the leaves in warm, dry weather.
Diseases to watch for
- Rust Small orange pustules on the leaves. Cut affected leaves to the ground and let fresh growth come.
- Downy mildew Pale, yellowing patches with grey-violet fuzz on the leaves in cool, damp weather.
Common questions
Do chives come back every year?
Yes. Chives are a perennial herb. In cool areas they die back or slow down in midwinter and regrow in spring, and a clump can last for many years if divided every few years.
How do you harvest chives so they keep growing?
Snip the leaves with scissors a few centimetres above the base. Cutting the whole clump back encourages fresh new leaves, and regular cutting gives more leaves.
Can you eat chive flowers?
Yes. Pick newly opened flower heads and pull them apart; the tiny flowers have a mild onion taste and look lovely in salads.
What is the difference between chives and garlic chives?
Common chives have hollow, round leaves, mauve flowers and a mild onion taste. Garlic chives have flat leaves, white flowers and a garlic flavour, and they grow well in tropical and subtropical gardens.
Should I cut the flowers off chives?
If you want the most leaves, yes; flowering slows leaf growth. Otherwise, leave a few for the bees and to eat.
Can chives grow in a pot?
Yes, very well. Use a pot at least 15 to 20 cm wide, water regularly and cut often. Divide the clump when it fills the pot.
Sources we checked: RHS: How to grow chives; Green Harvest: Garlic chives; Rob Pyne: Growing garlic chives.