Chives Companion Plants
Herb60 days to maturity
Chives (Allium schoenoprasum) are a hardy clumping perennial in the onion family, grown for their slender, mild-onion-flavored leaves and edible purple pompom flowers. Like other alliums, their sulfur compounds repel aphids, carrot rust flies, and other pests, making them a classic protective border plant. A single clump returns reliably each spring and can be divided to spread throughout the garden.
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Companion Planting Strategy for Chives
Chives protect their neighbors with the same sulfur compounds that give onions their bite, repelling aphids, carrot rust flies, and even fungal diseases like apple scab. As an allium, though, they suppress the growth of beans, peas, and other legumes and should be kept well away from them.
Best Companion Plants for Chives
These plants grow well alongside Chives — providing pest control, attracting pollinators, or making better use of your garden space.
Chives' onion scent helps repel the carrot rust fly and aphids that attack carrots.
Chives deter aphids around tomatoes, and their early purple blooms attract pollinators to the bed.
Chives planted under apple trees are traditionally used to help suppress apple scab and deter aphids and borers.
What Not to Plant With Chives
Keep these away from Chives. They compete for resources, attract shared pests, or inhibit each other's growth.
How to Grow Chives
- Botanical name
- Allium schoenoprasum
- Family
- Amaryllis (Amaryllidaceae)
- Sun
- Full sun to partial shade
- Water
- Consistent moisture, about 1 inch per week
- Soil
- Rich, well-draining soil, pH 6.0-7.0
- Spacing
- 6-12 inches apart in clumps
- Planting depth
- Sow seed 1/4 inch deep, or divide and replant existing clumps
- Germination
- 10-21 days at 60-70F
- Days to maturity
- About 60 days from seed; 80-90 days for full clumps
- When to plant
- Plant in early spring; a cold-hardy perennial in zones 3-9
- Harvest
- Snip leaves about 2 inches above the soil once they reach 6 inches; cut-and-come-again all season
Common Chives Problems
Aphids and thrips on foliage
Spray them off with a strong jet of water and follow with insecticidal soap; chives' own flowers also draw beneficial predators.
Downy mildew (pale, fuzzy patches on leaves)
Improve airflow, avoid wetting the foliage, water in the morning, and remove infected leaves promptly.
Allium white rot (yellowing leaves with white fungal growth at the base)
This soilborne fungus is persistent; remove and destroy infected clumps, do not compost them, and rotate alliums to clean ground.
Rust (orange pustules on the leaves)
Cut off and dispose of affected foliage, thin crowded clumps for airflow, and avoid overhead watering.
Chives Companion Planting FAQ
What are the best companion plants for chives?
Chives pair well with carrots and tomatoes, where their onion scent repels aphids and carrot rust flies, and they make a classic underplanting for apple trees to help deter scab and pests. They suit most non-legume crops.
What should you not plant with chives?
Avoid planting chives near beans and peas, since like all alliums they release compounds that stunt the growth of legumes. Keep a clear separation between your onion-family herbs and your bean and pea rows.
Do chives come back every year?
Yes, chives are a cold-hardy perennial that returns each spring in USDA zones 3 through 9. Clumps thicken over time and can be divided every few years to make new plants.
Do chives keep bugs away?
Chives' sulfur compounds repel aphids, Japanese beetles, and carrot rust flies, while their nectar-rich purple flowers attract pollinators and predatory insects. Planting them as a border is a simple, natural pest deterrent.
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Plan Your Chives Garden
Use our interactive tools to design the perfect garden with Chives and its companions.