Rainline Garden

When to plant chives in Oregon and Washington

In Portland: Plant chives in the garden Mar 15 – May 10, either as seeds or as young plants started indoors Jan 18 – Feb 1. In Bend: May 12 – Jul 7. Find your city below.

Difficulty
Easy
Sun
Full sun to part shade
Spacing
8 to 12 inches apart
Planting depth
¼ inch deep
Frost
Handles light frost
First harvest
About 60 days after planting

A tough perennial that comes back every spring. Divide clumps every few years.

Chives planting dates by city

CityStart seeds indoorsPlant in the garden
Astoria, ORFeb 4–18Apr 1 – May 27
Baker City, ORMar 2–16Apr 27 – Jun 22
Bend and Redmond, ORMar 17–31May 12 – Jul 7
Burns, ORMar 19 – Apr 2May 14 – Jul 9
Coos Bay and North Bend, ORFeb 4–18Apr 1 – May 27
Eugene, ORJan 18 – Feb 1Mar 15 – May 10
Gresham, ORJan 18 – Feb 1Mar 15 – May 10
Klamath Falls, ORMar 17–31May 12 – Jul 7
Medford, ORJan 18 – Feb 1Mar 15 – May 10
Pendleton, ORFeb 4–18Apr 1 – May 27
Portland, ORJan 18 – Feb 1Mar 15 – May 10
Roseburg, ORJan 18 – Feb 1Mar 15 – May 10
Salem, ORJan 18 – Feb 1Mar 15 – May 10
The Dalles, ORFeb 4–18Apr 1 – May 27
Wilsonville and Canby, ORJan 18 – Feb 1Mar 15 – May 10
Aberdeen and Hoquiam, WAFeb 4–18Apr 1 – May 27
Bellingham, WAJan 18 – Feb 1Mar 15 – May 10
Ellensburg, WAFeb 18 – Mar 4Apr 15 – Jun 10
Everett, WAJan 18 – Feb 1Mar 15 – May 10
Forks, WAFeb 4–18Apr 1 – May 27
Moses Lake, WAFeb 4–18Apr 1 – May 27
Olympia, WAFeb 4–18Apr 1 – May 27
Omak and Okanogan, WAFeb 18 – Mar 4Apr 15 – Jun 10
Seattle and Tacoma, WAJan 18 – Feb 1Mar 15 – May 10
Spokane, WAFeb 18 – Mar 4Apr 15 – Jun 10
Tri-Cities (Pasco, Kennewick, Richland), WAFeb 4–18Apr 1 – May 27
Vancouver, WAJan 18 – Feb 1Mar 15 – May 10
Walla Walla, WAFeb 4–18Apr 1 – May 27
Wenatchee, WAFeb 4–18Apr 1 – May 27
Yakima, WAFeb 13–27Apr 10 – Jun 5

How to grow chives

  1. Start seeds indoors on your city's dates in trays or small pots under a grow light or in your sunniest window. Or skip this step and buy young plants (starts) at a garden center.
  2. Harden off the young plants: about a week before planting, set them outside for a few hours a day, a little longer each day.
  3. Plant them in the garden on your city's dates, 8 to 12 inches apart. If you plant seeds instead, sow them ¼ inch deep.
  4. Water deeply once or twice a week rather than a little every day, and mulch once the soil is warm.
  5. Harvest: Snip leaves an inch above the soil whenever you need them. The purple flowers are edible too.

Varieties that do well in the Northwest

Watch out for

Few pests. Clumps get crowded after a few years; dig and divide them in spring.

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