How to Grow Garlic Chives
Allium tuberosum
Garlic chives (Allium tuberosum) are a hardy, easy-to-grow allium prized for their mild onion flavor and delicate white blossoms. Gardeners cultivate them primarily to harvest fresh greens or flowers that add texture and subtle taste to salads, stir-fries, and garnishes throughout the cool growing season.
📷 Wikimedia CommonsStarting Garlic Chives: indoors or direct sow?
🌾 Sow directly in the garden — Garlic Chives is not usually started indoors.
Garlic chives are best started directly in the garden rather than indoors; simply sow seeds outdoors 2 to 6 weeks before the last frost date.
Soil, care & harvest
Prepare loose, well-draining soil with a pH between 6.0 and 7.0 for best results. As a cool-season crop, sow seeds directly outdoors 2 to 6 weeks before your last spring frost date. Press the tiny seeds gently into the surface without covering them deeply, as they require light for germination. Expect sprouting in 14 to 21 days once temperatures are suitable.
Space plants 6 to 8 inches apart to ensure good air circulation and prevent overcrowding. These chives do not need support or trellising since they remain relatively low-growing. Water moderately, allowing the soil to dry slightly between sessions, as established plants tolerate some drought. Apply a light mulch in early spring to retain moisture and suppress weeds without smothering new growth.
Watch for aphids or thrips, though these pests are rarely problematic; a strong water spray usually suffices to deter them. Avoid letting plants sit in poorly drained soil to prevent root rot. Harvest the tender leaves by snipping them when they reach maturity, typically around 80 to 90 days after sowing. You can also cut flower stalks just before bloom for culinary use.
When to Plant Garlic Chives
Planting windows vary by USDA hardiness zone. Look up yours by ZIP code.
| Zone | Start Indoors | Direct Sow | Harvest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 1 | — | June – July | August – September |
| Zone 2 | — | May – July | August – September |
| Zone 3 | — | May – June | July – October |
| Zone 4 | — | April – June | July – October |
| Zone 5 | — | April – May | July – November |
| Zone 6 | — | April – May | June – November |
| Zone 7 | — | March – May | June – November |
| Zone 8 | — | March – April | May – December |
| Zone 9 | — | February – March | April – December |
| Zone 10 | — | January – March | April – December |
| Zone 11 | — | January – February | March – December |
| Zone 12 | — | January – February | March – December |
| Zone 13 | — | January – February | March – December |
Companion Plants for Garlic Chives
✓ Good companions
Repels cabbage worms, aphids, and other brassica pests
Chives improve carrot flavor and repel carrot rust flies
Acts as living mulch and deters boring insects at tree base
Provides natural slug and aphid protection without competing for nutrients
Repels aphids and may help deter pepper maggots
Natural pest deterrent against aphids and may reduce black spot disease
Deters slugs and ants while improving berry flavor
Garlic chives repel aphids and spider mites that commonly attack tomatoes
✗ Keep away from
Alliums can inhibit nitrogen fixation in legumes and stunt growth
Sulfur compounds interfere with beneficial rhizobia bacteria needed for nitrogen fixation
Both are strong-scented herbs that can compete and reduce each other's essential oil production
Nutrition Facts
Per 100g serving (USDA FoodData Central)
