How to Harvest Chives for a Bountiful Supply of Delicious Herbs

Chives (Allium schoenoprasum) are easy-to-grow herbs that can add a bright sprinkling of green to your garden and a delicate-yet-distinct flavor to any dish. These plants are a vibrant, year-round addition to your windowsill—just harvest, chop, and sprinkle.

Of course, while chives are a great plant for beginner gardeners, you should know a few things before starting a new crop. Here, we spoke with experts to identify the best way to harvest them, as well as some tips and tricks to keep this versatile herb thriving.

When to Harvest

“Most gardeners harvest chives when they reach about 6 inches long and are still soft,” says Margaret Pickoff, a horticulture educator for the Penn State Extension in Bucks County. Pickoff, who provides education for green industry professionals, also notes that older leaves tend to toughen over time. 

However, it’s not always about the stem, notes Joe Moussa, owner of Mosaic Home & Garden Center. Fully mature chive plants will produce a bright purple flower that can be a lovely garnish to an array of dishes, including hummus plates, dips, and spreads. “It just adds that pretty, edible look to whatever you’re working on," he says. But if you plan to use the flowers, don’t wait too long: “Make sure to harvest well before the plant begins producing seeds. At that point, the flowers become tougher."

How to Harvest

Harvesting chives is easy. Moussa recommends using sharp cutting sheers or gardening scissors, cutting the herb about 1.5 to 2 inches from the base of the plant. “Generally, I start with the outer leaves,” he adds. 

Chives lend themselves to a cut-as-you-need mentality. Cut only a few to use as a garnish, or harvest more if you’re planning to preserve or dry them for later use. 

“If you only take a few leaves at a time, you can extend the harvest period,” says Pickoff. Once the plant flowers, she adds, you can cut all the leaves back to about 3 inches, which will encourage a flush new growth.

After You Harvest

Chives are perennial plants, and with a little care, they will return in the next season. If you live in a location where it frosts, you generally have two options: let the plant die off and await its return next year, or bring the chives inside. 

Leaving Outdoors

If you plan on overwintering your chives outdoors, then Moussa recommends placing a covering over them. “For example, add just a little heavy mulch,” he says—especially if you live in a Northern climate that's prone to hard frosts. Doing so can help them return year after year.

Bringing Indoors

You can bring your chives indoors and place them in a warm, sunny spot at any time, but if it’s after the freeze, fear not—there’s still hope.  “The best time to divide clumps planted outdoors is spring, but small clumps can be dug up from the garden after a freeze and brought indoors for the winter,” says Susan Detrick, master garden coordinator for the Penn State Extension in Monroe and Pike County. 

Once you bring the bulbs in, Detrick recommends cleaning them off and planting them in a sterilized pot with fresh, indoor plant potting soil. Be sure to place drainage holes to limit water-soaked roots. Forgo any fertilization efforts until the winter ends.

If your chives don’t look as bright and crisp as you hoped, don’t assume you’ve failed. “Newly planted bulbs may have an adjustment period and not look so great," says Detrick. "Since there are not as many daylight hours during the winter, plants may exhibit dieback or legginess."