When to Plant Chives in Alice Springs, Arid / Semi-Arid Guide
Soil temperature is modelled from Open-Meteo forecast (Alice Springs), not a live sensor.
What this month normally looks like in Arid / Semi-Arid
In October the Arid / Semi-Arid zone normally runs 32°C by day and 16°C overnight, with about 19 mm of rain over 2 or 3 wet days. The coldest October night on record across the zone was 1.9°C, so a late frost is not out of the question. Averages 1991 to 2026, 10 postcodes, SILO.
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This Chives guide is written for the Arid / Semi-Arid zone, which takes in Alice Springs, Broken Hill and Port Augusta. Somewhere else? Your postcode picks the right one.
Not your zone? Cairns Brisbane Sydney Melbourne Canberra Perth
Also handy: will it frost this week? and what grows in shade.
- Planting window
- Mar to May, Aug to Nov
- Days to harvest
- 60 days
- Sun
- Full sun to part shade
- Water
- Regular
- Spacing
- 15 cm apart
- Soil pH
- 6.0–7.0
One of the most reliable and forgiving herbs in the Australian garden. Perennial clumping herb with mild onion-flavoured hollow leaves and edible purple pompom flowers. Grows in all 7 Australian zones with minimal fuss.
Published · By GardenBuddy.au
Planting dates, current conditions and prices on this page update daily.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Planting Calendar for Arid / Semi-Arid
- Jan -
- Feb -
- Mar S/D
- Apr S/T/D
- May T
- Jun -
- Jul -
- Aug S
- Sep S/T/D
- Oct S/T/D
- Nov T
- Dec -
S = Seed Tray T = Transplant D = Direct Sow
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How to Grow Chives in Arid / Semi-Arid Australia
- Soil
- Rich, well-drained soil with compost. Tolerates most soil types.
- Salt
- Moderately sensitive. Copes with a little salt, but the harvest drops on salty bore water.
- pH Range
- 6.0-7.0
- Sunlight
- Full sun to part shade. Tolerates more shade than most herbs.
- Spacing
- 15cm apart, 25cm between rows
- Watering
- Regular watering, especially in pots. Tolerates some drought but leaves become tough and hollow when stressed. Keep soil consistently moist but not waterlogged.
- Good companions
- Lettuce, Tomato, Carrot, Blueberry, Parsley
- Keep away from
- Peas, Snow Peas (Gardenate lists chives under plants to keep apart from snow peas (no reason given).)
Arid / Semi-Arid Growing Tips for Chives
Recommended Varieties
- Common chives
- Garlic chives
Key Challenges
- Heat stress in summer
- Needs consistent watering
Pro Tips
- Mulch heavily
- Afternoon shade helps in summer
- Garlic chives more drought tolerant than common chives
Pests and problems for Chives in Arid / Semi-Arid
- Fungal Spots and Aphids Moderate
- Rust Divide clumps every 2-3 years to prevent overcrowding. Avoid overhead watering. Good hygiene, remove dead leaves. Watch
Organic prevention (Aphids (Onion aphid)): Good air circulation. Avoid overwatering. Healthy plants resist aphids.
Harvesting Chives
When ready: Harvest when leaves are 15cm+ tall. Use scissors to cut to 2-3cm above soil level.
How to harvest: Cut entire clump to 2-3cm with sharp scissors. Leaves regrow in 2-3 weeks. Do not pick individual leaves. Cutting the whole clump promotes even regrowth.
Storing and preserving chives
How to keep it
- Freezing (chopped). Snip chives finely with scissors. Spread on tray, freeze, then transfer to bags. Or pack into ice cube trays with water. Keeps: 6 months frozen.
- Freeze-drying / Dehydrating. Snip finely, dehydrate at 35C for 2-4 hours until crisp. Store in airtight jar. Retains colour well. Keeps: 12 months.
- Chive butter. Blend 250g softened butter with 1 cup finely snipped chives, pinch of salt and squeeze of lemon. Roll in cling wrap. Refrigerate or freeze. Keeps: 2 weeks refrigerated, 3 months frozen.
- Chive flower vinegar. Pack chive flowers into sterilised jar. Cover with white wine vinegar. Seal and store 2 weeks. Vinegar turns beautiful pink. Strain and bottle. Keeps: 12 months.
What chives costs in the shops right now, retailer by retailer, updated daily.
What members get
- Soil and weather from your nearest station
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- Price history and price alerts
- Pest risk alerts for your area
- Full salt and canning detail
Common Questions About Chives
When do you plant chives in Australia?
It depends on your climate zone, not the calendar month alone. Planting months by zone:
- Tropical (Cairns): Mar to Jul
- Subtropical (Brisbane): all year
- Warm Temperate (Sydney): Jan to May, Aug to Dec
- Cool Temperate (Melbourne): Jan to Apr, Sep to Dec
- Cold / Highland (Canberra): Jan to Apr, Sep to Dec
- Arid / Semi-Arid (Alice Springs): Mar to May, Aug to Nov
- Mediterranean (Perth): Mar to May, Aug to Oct
Can you grow chives all year round in Alice Springs?
No. In the Arid / Semi-Arid zone the planting months are Mar to May, Aug to Nov. Outside that window it either bolts, sulks or gets cut down by the weather.
When should I plant Chives in Alice Springs?
A long-lived perennial that stays in the bed for years. Sow in autumn or spring, and give some afternoon shade in summer.
What soil temperature do Chives need?
Chives germinate best when soil temperature is between 10°C and 30°C.
How do I know when Chives are ready to harvest?
Harvest when leaves are 15cm+ tall. Use scissors to cut to 2-3cm above soil level.
What are the best Chives varieties for Alice Springs?
Recommended varieties for the Arid / Semi-Arid zone include: Common chives, Garlic chives.
What grows well with Chives?
Good companion plants for Chives include: Lettuce, Tomato, Carrot, Blueberry, Parsley.
Are chives salt tolerant?
Only a little. Chives are moderately sensitive to salt, so the harvest drops on salty bore water. Mix salty water with rainwater, and mulch the bed.
Which zone am I in?
Type your postcode into the box near the top of the page and it tells you, and links this crop in your own zone if it differs. Or look it up on the grow zone map. This page is the Arid / Semi-Arid zone, Alice Springs is its reference city.