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When to plant chives

Start chives seeds indoors 6 to 8 weeks before the last frost, plant them out from 4 weeks before the last frost until it and sow seed outdoors from 4 weeks before to 1 week after the last frost.

Your dates for chives

Set your ZIP code at the top of the page and we will work out when to plant chives where you live, from the frost records of the nearest NOAA weather station. Your ZIP code is remembered on this device only.

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Chives planting dates by zone

JFMAMJJASOND Zone 4b Zone 5b Zone 6b Zone 7b Zone 8b Zone 9a
Start indoorsPlant out or sowFirst harvestDates use each zone's typical frost dates. Enter your ZIP code for your own.
Dates from each zone's typical (median) frost dates.
ZoneStart indoorsPlant outSow outdoors
Zone 2a *Mar 24 to Apr 7Apr 21 to May 19Apr 21 to May 26
Zone 3a *Mar 31 to Apr 14Apr 28 to May 26Apr 28 to Jun 2
Zone 3b *Mar 22 to Apr 5Apr 19 to May 17Apr 19 to May 24
Zone 4aMar 18 to Apr 1Apr 15 to May 13Apr 15 to May 20
Zone 4bMar 13 to 27Apr 10 to May 8Apr 10 to May 15
Zone 5aMar 8 to 22Apr 5 to May 3Apr 5 to May 10
Zone 5bMar 6 to 20Apr 3 to May 1Apr 3 to May 8
Zone 6aMar 4 to 18Apr 1 to 29Apr 1 to May 6
Zone 6bFeb 26 to Mar 12Mar 26 to Apr 23Mar 26 to Apr 30
Zone 7aFeb 19 to Mar 5Mar 19 to Apr 16Mar 19 to Apr 23
Zone 7bFeb 8 to 22Mar 8 to Apr 5Mar 8 to Apr 12
Zone 8aFeb 1 to 15Mar 1 to 29Mar 1 to Apr 5
Zone 8bJan 20 to Feb 3Feb 17 to Mar 17Feb 17 to Mar 24
Zone 9a *Jan 5 to 19Feb 2 to Mar 2Feb 2 to Mar 9
Zone 9b *Dec 6 to 20Jan 3 to 31Jan 3 to Feb 7

Spring dates before the last frost assume the soil has thawed and is dry enough to work. After a late or wet spring, wait for that even if the date has passed.

* Outside zones 4 to 8, the hardiness range our sources give for chives. Plants there may not survive the winter or get enough winter chill, and are usually grown as annuals or in pots.

Where frost is rare

Where frost is rare, chives act as a cool-season herb. Plant from late summer through early spring and harvest until hot weather arrives. Some afternoon shade helps in the heat. In the Florida Keys, garlic chives hold up better than onion chives.

ZonePlanting months in Extension guides
Zone 9Aug-Mar
Zone 10Aug-Mar

Based on UF/IFAS Extension Pasco County (Central Florida) gives Aug-Mar as the best planting period for Florida. The UF/IFAS Osceola County herb calendar (Central FL) lists divisions in every month. UF/IFAS Monroe County (Keys, zone 11) describes chives as reliable with year-round harvest but gives no planting months, so zone_11 is null. Chives are not in the VH021 vegetable table. Warm-winter areas are matched to zones approximately, so use the months for your region.

How to grow chivesYour full planting calendar

Sources