When to sow Chives in the UK
Chives is sown to the calendar rather than to the frost, so the window is much the same wherever you garden in the UK.
Sowing and harvest dates by region
Chives is grown to the calendar rather than to the frost, so the same dates apply across the whole UK and every region below reads the same. Where a plant’s timings do follow the frost, Plot shifts them from the Midlands and Lowland Wales baseline using Met Office average frost dates.
| Where you are | Sow indoors | Sow outdoors | Plant out | Harvest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| South West Coast and Cornwall | early March to late March | late March to early May | early May to mid June | late March to late October |
| South Coast and Channel | early March to late March | late March to early May | early May to mid June | late March to late October |
| Greater London (Urban Heat Island) | early March to late March | late March to early May | early May to mid June | late March to late October |
| South East and Home Counties | early March to late March | late March to early May | early May to mid June | late March to late October |
| East Anglia | early March to late March | late March to early May | early May to mid June | late March to late October |
| Midlands and Lowland Wales | early March to late March | late March to early May | early May to mid June | late March to late October |
| Wales and West Coast | early March to late March | late March to early May | early May to mid June | late March to late October |
| Northern England | early March to late March | late March to early May | early May to mid June | late March to late October |
| Scotland Lowlands and Central Belt | early March to late March | late March to early May | early May to mid June | late March to late October |
| Scotland Highlands and Islands | early March to late March | late March to early May | early May to mid June | late March to late October |
| Northern Ireland | early March to late March | late March to early May | early May to mid June | late March to late October |
| Channel Islands and Isle of Man | early March to late March | late March to early May | early May to mid June | late March to late October |
Growing notes
Sow indoors in early spring and plant out in late spring or early summer once seedlings are about 10cm tall, spacing clumps 15cm apart; bought clumps can go out almost any time. Cut a whole clump back to 5cm for a fresh flush of leaves, and pot one up in autumn for winter pickings indoors.
At a glance
- Spacing
- 15 cm between plants
- Row spacing
- 25 cm
- Plants per m²
- 26
- Days to maturity
- 90 days
- Yield per plant
- 0.1 kg
- Sun
- Full
- Frost tender
- No
- Grows in a container
- Yes, 10 litres or more
- Minimum soil depth
- 20 cm
- Balcony rating
- 5 out of 5
How long until it crops
Expect the first worthwhile pick about 1 year after planting.
What usually goes wrong
- leek rust
- aphids
Companion planting
Grows well near
Keep away from
Related guides
Timings cross-checked against RHS guidance for chives.