When to Plant Chives in Melbourne, Cool Temperate Guide
Soil temperature is modelled from Open-Meteo forecast (Melbourne), not a live sensor.
What this month normally looks like in Cool Temperate
In October the Cool Temperate zone normally runs 19°C by day and 8°C overnight, with about 67 mm of rain over 9 or 10 wet days. The coldest October night on record across the zone was -3.0°C, so a late frost is not out of the question. Averages 1991 to 2026, 28 postcodes, SILO.
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This Chives guide is written for the Cool Temperate zone, which takes in Melbourne, Hobart and Geelong. Somewhere else? Your postcode picks the right one.
Not your zone? Cairns Brisbane Sydney Canberra Alice Springs Perth
Also handy: will it frost this week? and what grows in shade.
- Planting window
- Sep to Apr
- 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 Cool Temperate
- Jan S/T/D
- Feb S/T/D
- Mar S/T
- Apr T
- May -
- Jun -
- Jul -
- Aug -
- Sep S/T
- Oct S/T/D
- Nov S/T/D
- Dec S/T/D
S = Seed Tray T = Transplant D = Direct Sow
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How to Grow Chives in Cool Temperate 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).)
Cool Temperate Growing Tips for Chives
Recommended Varieties
- Common chives
- Garlic chives
Key Challenges
- Winter dormancy, looks dead but isn't
- Slow spring start
Pro Tips
- Mulch crowns in winter
- Divide in early spring as shoots emerge
- Perfectly suited to this zone
Pests and problems for Chives in Cool Temperate
- 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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- 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 Melbourne?
No. In the Cool Temperate zone the planting months are Jan to Apr, Sep to Dec. Outside that window it either bolts, sulks or gets cut down by the weather.
When should I plant Chives in Melbourne?
A clumping perennial that dies back in winter and regrows each spring. Divide old clumps in spring or autumn.
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 Melbourne?
Recommended varieties for the Cool Temperate 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 Cool Temperate zone, Melbourne is its reference city.