Chives planting calendar
When to plant chives — pick your state
Chives timing swings hard by climate — choose your state for sow, transplant, and harvest dates calibrated to its USDA zone and frost window.
Northeast
Southeast
Midwest
Southwest
West
Pacific
Common questions
When should I plant chives?
Start seeds indoors 6–8 weeks before the last spring frost; germination takes 7–14 days at 18–21 °C (65–70 °F), though seeds will germinate across a broad range of 15–35 °C (60–95 °F). As a cold-hardy perennial (zones 3–9), transplants can go out 1–2 weeks before the last frost once soil is workable — or direct-sow as soon as the ground can be worked in early spring. Begin snipping leaves about 30 days after transplanting (or ~60 days from seed) once plants reach 15 cm (6 in) tall; divide clumps every 3–4 years to maintain productivity. Because the right window depends on your local frost dates, pick your US state above for a calendar with exact sow, transplant, and harvest dates.
Does the best time to plant chives vary by state?
Yes — planting dates swing by several weeks across the US because each state sits in a different USDA zone with its own frost window. Every state page here gives chives dates calibrated to that state's climate.
How are these chives planting dates calculated?
Each state's dates come from that state's dominant USDA hardiness zone and NOAA average frost dates, then adjusted for chives's cold tolerance and days to maturity.