How to Grow Chives in Pots: Seed, Division and Endless Cuts
Chives are the onion herb you can cut with scissors for years from one pot. In the plains, the honest answer to how to grow chives is: sow seed or plant a nursery clump between October and December, give it a 20 cm pot and winter sun, cut a third at a time, and get it through June in shade. It tastes like a gentler hara pyaz, and unlike spring onions, you don’t pull it up to eat it.
Chives at a glance
- Plant: Allium schoenoprasum, a clump forming perennial; garlic chives (Allium tuberosum) are a flat leaved cousin
- Sow or plant (plains): October to December; division in February or October
- Pot: at least 20 cm (8 inches) wide and deep, about 5 to 7 litres
- Mix: 2 parts soil, 1 part compost, 1 part cocopeat or sand
- Sun: 5 to 6 hours in winter; morning sun only from April
- First cut from seed: about 8 to 10 weeks; from a divided clump, 2 to 3 weeks
- Pets: toxic to cats and dogs, like all onion family plants
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Chives, garlic chives or hara pyaz: which are you growing?
Common chives have hollow, round, grass thin leaves and mauve pompom flowers. Garlic chives (often sold as “Chinese chives” or confused with jungli lehsan) have flat leaves, white star flowers and a garlicky bite; they handle heat better and are the easier choice for Karachi or Multan. Hara pyaz is just young onion, sown from seed or sets and pulled whole. All three grow in pots; this guide follows common chives, with notes where garlic chives differ.
When to sow chives in Pakistan, by zone
| Zone | Sow or plant | Summer plan |
|---|---|---|
| Karachi, coastal humid | November to January | Bright shade; garlic chives cope better |
| Multan, Sukkur, Bahawalpur | Late October to December | Usually dies back at 45C; keep the pot shaded and barely moist |
| Lahore, Faisalabad, Delhi | October to December | Morning sun, afternoon shade from April |
| Islamabad, Peshawar | October to November, or February to March | Easiest zone; light shade in June |
| Hills | March to May | Dies back in winter, returns in spring |
How do you grow chives from seed?
- Use fresh seed. Allium seed loses vigour fast; a packet older than a year often fails.
- Fill a 20 cm pot with the mix above (see the potting mix guide), water it and let it drain.
- Scatter 20 to 30 seeds in small pinches, 4 to 5 seeds every 5 cm, so they come up as mini clumps.
- Cover with 0.5 to 1 cm of mix and keep damp with a mister.
- Expect grass like shoots in about 7 to 14 days. They look like nothing for weeks; be patient.
- Don’t cut until the clumps are 15 cm tall, around 8 to 10 weeks.
For tray sowing and moving seedlings, the seed starting guide covers the method.
Division: the faster way to a full pot
If a friend has a clump, or a nursery sells one, you skip two months.
- In February or October, lift the clump out of its pot.
- Pull it apart into pieces of 5 to 10 bulblets each, with their roots.
- Trim leaves to about 5 cm and roots to about 8 cm.
- Plant pieces 15 cm apart at the same depth they grew before.
- Water and keep in bright shade for a week.
Division almost always succeeds. Old clumps that look crowded and thin also need it: every two to three years.
The one third rule
Cut no more than a third of the clump at a time, and cut the whole leaf near the base, about 3 to 5 cm above soil, rather than snipping the tips. Tip snipping leaves brown, dead ends; base cutting makes fresh leaves push up. Rotate around the pot, and the clump never looks bare.
Watering and feeding by season
- October to February: water when the top 2 cm is dry, every 3 to 5 days. On frost nights, chives are fine; water in the morning.
- March to April: every 2 days.
- May to June: in shade, a morning watering. If the clump dies back in Multan heat, water lightly once or twice a week; the bulbs often return in October.
- Monsoon: let pots drain fully; soggy soil rots bulbs.
- Feeding: a handful of compost every month or two in the growing season, or a balanced liquid feed at half strength after every heavy cut.
Why is my chives plant dying?
- Yellow, floppy leaves in a wet pot: overwatering; drainage first.
- Thin, pale growth: not enough sun, or a crowded, hungry clump; feed and divide.
- Brown tips: heat, dry spells, or tip cutting.
- Disappears in June: summer dormancy in hot cities; it may come back.
- Orange raised spots: rust, a fungus; cut affected leaves and dispose of them.
- Grey green clusters: aphids; rinse with water, then insecticidal soap.
Can chives grow indoors?
On a sunny south or west windowsill with at least 4 to 5 hours of direct light, yes, though growth is slower and thinner. A dim kitchen won’t do. The windowsill herbs guide explains which herbs handle low light.
Flowers and seed saving
Common chives flower in spring, usually March to April in the plains. The flowers are edible: pull apart the florets and scatter on raita or salad. Flowering stems are tough, so cut them at the base after picking.
To save seed, leave a few heads until they turn papery and black seeds show. Cut, dry in a paper bag for a week, shake out seed and store cool and dry. Sow it that same autumn; it doesn’t keep well. Chives also self seed if you leave heads on.
Chives belong to the onion family, which the ASPCA lists as toxic to cats and dogs; keep pots out of reach of pets that chew greenery. Children can eat chives as food. Avoid chemical sprays on a herb you cut every week; if you ever use one, it must be labelled for edible herbs, with its waiting period before harvest followed, and with gloves on.
Grow it or skip it?
Grow it if you have winter sun and some summer shade: one pot gives years of cuttings. In Karachi and Multan, consider garlic chives instead, which take heat better. It sits happily in a mixed balcony herb garden. Pots are better than the ground in heavy Punjab clay. More in Kitchen Garden.
Questions about growing chives
How do you grow chives at home?
Sow fresh seed or plant a divided clump in a 20 cm pot with a well drained mix, give 5 to 6 hours of winter sun and water when the top is dry. Cut a third at a time once it is 15 cm tall.
How long do chives take to grow from seed?
Germination takes about one to two weeks, and the first cut is ready in roughly 8 to 10 weeks.
When should I sow chives in Pakistan?
October to December in the plains, November to January in Karachi, and spring in the hills.
How do you harvest chives without killing the plant?
Cut leaves near the base, 3 to 5 cm above the soil, and take no more than a third of the clump at once. Let it regrow before cutting the same section again.
Do chives come back every year?
Yes, they are perennial. In hot cities they may vanish in summer and return when weather cools.
Can I grow chives from the supermarket bunch?
Cut leaves won’t root. A bunch with bulbs and roots attached sometimes will, planted in moist mix.
What is the difference between chives and spring onions?
Chives are a perennial grown for their thin leaves only. Spring onions are young onions harvested whole, bulb and all.
Are chive flowers edible?
Yes, florets pulled from the pompom have a mild onion taste. The flower stem itself is tough.
Are chives safe for cats and dogs?
No. Like onions and garlic, chives are listed as toxic to cats and dogs.