Domakihub How to Grow Chives: Fresh Herb All Season Long
Plant once, harvest for years — chives thrive in pots, borders, and balconies across Greece.
Reviewed by Domakihub garden pros · 2026-06-23 · 4 min read
Chives are one of the few herbs that reward almost no effort with reliable harvests, making them ideal for Greek homes, holiday rentals, and hotel kitchen gardens where fresh herbs matter but maintenance time is limited. The video above walks through the full lifecycle from seed to kitchen; the steps below give you a clear planting routine tuned to the Mediterranean climate. Whether you have a terrace pot in Athens or a garden bed on a Cretan villa, chives fit right in.
Why Chives Work So Well in Greece
Greece's warm springs and mild winters are ideal for chives (Allium schoenoprasum). They push through the soil early in spring, produce edible purple flowers in late April and May, and with a little shade during the hottest summer weeks, they keep producing all the way into autumn.
Because they are perennial — dying back in a hard winter and resprouting from the bulbs — one planting gives you harvests for many consecutive years. For a holiday rental or hotel, that means near-zero re-investment after the first season.
Seed vs. Division: Choosing Your Starting Point
Starting from seed is the cheapest route and works well sown indoors six to eight weeks before the last frost or directly in the ground from February onward in warmer Greek lowlands. Seeds germinate in 10–14 days at 18–21 °C and are among the most forgiving of all herb seeds.
Dividing an established clump is faster: dig up a mature plant, pull it into smaller sections of eight to twelve shoots each, and replant immediately. This is the quickest way to populate a new bed or fill extra pots — and it keeps older clumps vigorous by preventing overcrowding.
5 Steps to Growing Chives Successfully
- 1
Choose a bright spot and prepare the container or bed
Chives need at least four to six hours of direct sun daily. In pots, use a quality potting mix with good drainage — add a handful of perlite if your mix is heavy. In garden beds, loosen the soil 15 cm deep and work in a little compost. A south- or east-facing balcony or windowsill is enough.
- 2
Sow seeds or plant divisions at the right depth
Press seeds just 3–5 mm below the surface and keep the soil lightly moist. For divisions, place the root clump so the tops of the bulbs sit about 2 cm below the soil surface, spacing clusters 15–20 cm apart. Water gently after planting and place the pot or bed in its permanent spot immediately.
- 3
Water consistently but avoid waterlogging
Chives dislike drought and equally dislike sitting in wet soil. In Greece's dry summer, water every two to three days for pots and once a week for established in-ground plants — more in a heatwave. Always let the top centimetre of soil dry between waterings. Yellow leaves usually mean overwatering; wilting means underwatering.
- 4
Harvest by cutting, not pulling
Once shoots reach 15 cm, snip them with clean scissors to about 5 cm from the soil. Never pull — cutting stimulates the plant to regrow from the base. You can harvest from the same clump every three to four weeks through the growing season. If the plant flowers, deadhead spent blooms to encourage more leaf growth, though the flowers are edible and make a beautiful garnish.
- 5
Divide and refresh every two to three years
Chive clumps gradually become congested, which reduces vigour and harvest yield. Every second or third autumn (or early spring), dig up the entire clump, separate it into smaller sections, and replant with fresh compost mixed in. Discard the woody central portion and replant the young outer sections. This is also the best time to start new pots for other areas of the property.
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FAQ
- Can chives grow on a shaded balcony in Greece?
- They can tolerate partial shade but need at least four hours of direct sun to produce well. On a north-facing balcony with limited light, expect slower growth and thinner leaves. A grow-light for a few extra hours in winter will help if you want year-round indoor harvests.
- Do chives survive the Greek summer heat?
- Yes, but they slow down in peak summer above 35 °C. Move pots to a spot with afternoon shade in July and August, or mulch in-ground plants to keep the roots cool. They will pick up again strongly in September once temperatures drop.
- How soon after planting can I start harvesting?
- Divisions are ready to harvest lightly after about four weeks. Seed-grown plants take eight to ten weeks from germination before their first cut. For the first harvest, take no more than a third of the shoot height so the plant can establish its root system before giving more.