When to plant chives in the UK
Outdoors, chives go in from around 5 March in Southampton to 26 March in Edinburgh.
- Type
- Hardy Copes with cold
- First harvest
- Every year once it’s established
- Spacing
- 20 cm between plants
- In pots
- Yes in a big enough pot
Town by town
24 towns from north to south. Dates move later the further you go from the equator and the higher up. Tap a town for its full calendar.
Sow outdoorsSow under cover (a greenhouse or polytunnel)
| TownTown, north to south | JJan | FFeb | MMar | AApr | MMay | JJun | JJul | AAug | SSep | OOct | NNov | DDec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EdinburghFrom 26 MarOutdoors 26 Mar to 16 Jun | January: Not this month | February: Not this month | March: Sow under cover | April: Sow outdoors and under cover | May: Sow outdoors and under cover | June: Sow outdoors and under cover | July: Sow under cover | August: Not this month | September: Not this month | October: Not this month | November: Not this month | December: Not this month |
| GlasgowFrom 24 MarOutdoors 24 Mar to 15 Jun | January: Not this month | February: Not this month | March: Sow outdoors and under cover | April: Sow outdoors and under cover | May: Sow outdoors and under cover | June: Sow outdoors and under cover | July: Sow under cover | August: Not this month | September: Not this month | October: Not this month | November: Not this month | December: Not this month |
| Newcastle upon TyneFrom 20 MarOutdoors 20 Mar to 10 Jun | January: Not this month | February: Sow under cover | March: Sow outdoors and under cover | April: Sow outdoors and under cover | May: Sow outdoors and under cover | June: Sow outdoors and under cover | July: Sow under cover | August: Not this month | September: Not this month | October: Not this month | November: Not this month | December: Not this month |
| BelfastFrom 12 MarOutdoors 12 Mar to 16 Jun | January: Not this month | February: Sow under cover | March: Sow outdoors and under cover | April: Sow outdoors and under cover | May: Sow outdoors and under cover | June: Sow outdoors and under cover | July: Sow under cover | August: Not this month | September: Not this month | October: Not this month | November: Not this month | December: Not this month |
| LeedsFrom 16 MarOutdoors 16 Mar to 3 Jun | January: Not this month | February: Sow under cover | March: Sow outdoors and under cover | April: Sow outdoors and under cover | May: Sow outdoors and under cover | June: Sow under cover | July: Not this month | August: Not this month | September: Not this month | October: Not this month | November: Not this month | December: Not this month |
| BradfordFrom 20 MarOutdoors 20 Mar to 6 Jun | January: Not this month | February: Sow under cover | March: Sow outdoors and under cover | April: Sow outdoors and under cover | May: Sow outdoors and under cover | June: Sow under cover | July: Not this month | August: Not this month | September: Not this month | October: Not this month | November: Not this month | December: Not this month |
| PrestonFrom 14 MarOutdoors 14 Mar to 5 Jun | January: Not this month | February: Sow under cover | March: Sow outdoors and under cover | April: Sow outdoors and under cover | May: Sow outdoors and under cover | June: Sow under cover | July: Not this month | August: Not this month | September: Not this month | October: Not this month | November: Not this month | December: Not this month |
| Kingston upon HullFrom 11 MarOutdoors 11 Mar to 2 Jun | January: Not this month | February: Sow under cover | March: Sow outdoors and under cover | April: Sow outdoors and under cover | May: Sow outdoors and under cover | June: Sow under cover | July: Not this month | August: Not this month | September: Not this month | October: Not this month | November: Not this month | December: Not this month |
| ManchesterFrom 13 MarOutdoors 13 Mar to 3 Jun | January: Not this month | February: Sow under cover | March: Sow outdoors and under cover | April: Sow outdoors and under cover | May: Sow outdoors and under cover | June: Sow under cover | July: Not this month | August: Not this month | September: Not this month | October: Not this month | November: Not this month | December: Not this month |
| LiverpoolFrom 12 MarOutdoors 12 Mar to 6 Jun | January: Not this month | February: Sow under cover | March: Sow outdoors and under cover | April: Sow outdoors and under cover | May: Sow outdoors and under cover | June: Sow under cover | July: Not this month | August: Not this month | September: Not this month | October: Not this month | November: Not this month | December: Not this month |
| SheffieldFrom 14 MarOutdoors 14 Mar to 1 Jun | January: Not this month | February: Sow under cover | March: Sow outdoors and under cover | April: Sow outdoors and under cover | May: Sow outdoors and under cover | June: Sow under cover | July: Not this month | August: Not this month | September: Not this month | October: Not this month | November: Not this month | December: Not this month |
| NottinghamFrom 12 MarOutdoors 12 Mar to 30 May | January: Not this month | February: Sow under cover | March: Sow outdoors and under cover | April: Sow outdoors and under cover | May: Sow outdoors and under cover | June: Sow under cover | July: Not this month | August: Not this month | September: Not this month | October: Not this month | November: Not this month | December: Not this month |
| LeicesterFrom 11 MarOutdoors 11 Mar to 28 May | January: Not this month | February: Sow under cover | March: Sow outdoors and under cover | April: Sow outdoors and under cover | May: Sow outdoors and under cover | June: Sow under cover | July: Not this month | August: Not this month | September: Not this month | October: Not this month | November: Not this month | December: Not this month |
| WolverhamptonFrom 17 MarOutdoors 17 Mar to 2 Jun | January: Not this month | February: Sow under cover | March: Sow outdoors and under cover | April: Sow outdoors and under cover | May: Sow outdoors and under cover | June: Sow under cover | July: Not this month | August: Not this month | September: Not this month | October: Not this month | November: Not this month | December: Not this month |
| BirminghamFrom 16 MarOutdoors 16 Mar to 1 Jun | January: Not this month | February: Sow under cover | March: Sow outdoors and under cover | April: Sow outdoors and under cover | May: Sow outdoors and under cover | June: Sow under cover | July: Not this month | August: Not this month | September: Not this month | October: Not this month | November: Not this month | December: Not this month |
| CoventryFrom 12 MarOutdoors 12 Mar to 29 May | January: Not this month | February: Sow under cover | March: Sow outdoors and under cover | April: Sow outdoors and under cover | May: Sow outdoors and under cover | June: Sow under cover | July: Not this month | August: Not this month | September: Not this month | October: Not this month | November: Not this month | December: Not this month |
| SwanseaFrom 8 MarOutdoors 8 Mar to 2 Jun | January: Not this month | February: Sow under cover | March: Sow outdoors and under cover | April: Sow outdoors and under cover | May: Sow outdoors and under cover | June: Sow under cover | July: Not this month | August: Not this month | September: Not this month | October: Not this month | November: Not this month | December: Not this month |
| Southend-on-SeaFrom 7 MarOutdoors 7 Mar to 24 May | January: Not this month | February: Sow under cover | March: Sow outdoors and under cover | April: Sow outdoors and under cover | May: Sow outdoors and under cover | June: Sow under cover | July: Not this month | August: Not this month | September: Not this month | October: Not this month | November: Not this month | December: Not this month |
| LondonFrom 6 MarOutdoors 6 Mar to 22 May | January: Not this month | February: Sow under cover | March: Sow outdoors and under cover | April: Sow outdoors and under cover | May: Sow outdoors and under cover | June: Sow under cover | July: Not this month | August: Not this month | September: Not this month | October: Not this month | November: Not this month | December: Not this month |
| CardiffFrom 7 MarOutdoors 7 Mar to 3 Jun | January: Not this month | February: Sow under cover | March: Sow outdoors and under cover | April: Sow outdoors and under cover | May: Sow outdoors and under cover | June: Sow under cover | July: Not this month | August: Not this month | September: Not this month | October: Not this month | November: Not this month | December: Not this month |
| ReadingFrom 7 MarOutdoors 7 Mar to 25 May | January: Not this month | February: Sow under cover | March: Sow outdoors and under cover | April: Sow outdoors and under cover | May: Sow outdoors and under cover | June: Sow under cover | July: Not this month | August: Not this month | September: Not this month | October: Not this month | November: Not this month | December: Not this month |
| BristolFrom 7 MarOutdoors 7 Mar to 27 May | January: Not this month | February: Sow under cover | March: Sow outdoors and under cover | April: Sow outdoors and under cover | May: Sow outdoors and under cover | June: Sow under cover | July: Not this month | August: Not this month | September: Not this month | October: Not this month | November: Not this month | December: Not this month |
| SouthamptonFrom 5 MarOutdoors 5 Mar to 26 May | January: Not this month | February: Sow under cover | March: Sow outdoors and under cover | April: Sow outdoors and under cover | May: Sow outdoors and under cover | June: Sow under cover | July: Not this month | August: Not this month | September: Not this month | October: Not this month | November: Not this month | December: Not this month |
| BrightonFrom 6 MarOutdoors 6 Mar to 26 May | January: Not this month | February: Sow under cover | March: Sow outdoors and under cover | April: Sow outdoors and under cover | May: Sow outdoors and under cover | June: Sow under cover | July: Not this month | August: Not this month | September: Not this month | October: Not this month | November: Not this month | December: Not this month |
Don’t see your town? Find it by name or postcode.
Chives in other countries
When to plant other crops in the UK
Fruiting
Roots
Leaves
Beans and peas
Onion family
Brassicas
Herbs
Fruit
Also searched for
Get these dates as reminders
Bia turns this calendar into a nudge when it’s time to sow, plant out and harvest, for your plot wherever you are in the UK. Free for 2 months.
App StoreComing soonHow these dates are worked out: climate records for each town (ERA5-Land, 1995 to 2024), its frost dates and its height above sea level turn a seed-packet date into a local one. Contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information; towns from GeoNames (CC BY 4.0). How sowing dates work