Chives — Herbs

Allium schoenoprasum

Full sun, moderate watering — fully hardy.

Photograph of Chives — iNaturalist / GBIF

Sow: Apr
Harvest: Jun
In flower: May, Jun, Jul

Sun: Full sun
Water: Medium
Difficulty: Easy
Hardiness: H6
Season: spring
Height: 10–50 cm
Spacing: 10 cm
Pets: Toxic to pets
Bee friendly: Bee friendly
Native: Native

Grows well with

Carrot — Sowing chives along the carrot row is long-standing advice: the onion scent is meant to confuse carrot fly as it hunts for the crop.Lettuce — Chives are recommended next to lettuce, where the scent is said to keep aphids, slugs and snails off the leaves.Tomato — Chives are listed as a good neighbour for tomatoes, and a clump at the end of the row flowers early for bees.

Growing notes

Grows to 0.1-0.5 metres. Space about 0-10cm apart. In flower May-Jul.

Toxic to pets

Chives can cause sickness and damage the red blood cells of a dog or cat, raw or cooked, so keep chives and any scraps or peelings out of reach. The record lists no hazard to people. If a pet eats any, contact a vet straight away.

→ Your vet or the Animal PoisonLine