When to Plant Chives in Iowa
Iowa spans USDA hardiness 4b to 6a (zones 4b to 6a on this page). Plant chives by your local frost date, not the calendar — pick your zone below for exact start-indoors, transplant, and harvest dates.
Jump to: Zone 4b · Zone 5a · Zone 5b · Zone 6a
Chives planting calendar for Iowa, Zone 4b
Average last spring frost
May 10
Average first fall frost
September 25
Start seeds indoors
Mar 15
Transplant outdoors
Apr 26
Projected first harvest
Jul 15
Chives is ready to harvest in about 80 days. Full zone 4 guide (both 4a and 4b) →
Chives planting calendar for Iowa, Zone 5a
Average last spring frost
May 5
Average first fall frost
October 1
Start seeds indoors
Mar 10
Transplant outdoors
Apr 21
Projected first harvest
Jul 10
Chives is ready to harvest in about 80 days. Full zone 5 guide (both 5a and 5b) →
Chives planting calendar for Iowa, Zone 5b
Average last spring frost
April 30
Average first fall frost
October 5
Start seeds indoors
Mar 5
Transplant outdoors
Apr 16
Projected first harvest
Jul 5
Chives is ready to harvest in about 80 days. Full zone 5 guide (both 5a and 5b) →
Chives planting calendar for Iowa, Zone 6a
Average last spring frost
April 25
Average first fall frost
October 10
Start seeds indoors
Feb 28
Transplant outdoors
Apr 11
Projected first harvest
Jun 30
Chives is ready to harvest in about 80 days. Full zone 6 guide (both 6a and 6b) →
Not sure which half-zone you're in? Set your ZIP in HomeSown for dates tuned to your exact location.
Varieties to grow
1 variety of chives in the HomeSown library. Tap any for its full grow guide.
Common problems with chives
What to watch for, with identification and treatment for each
🌱 Grow chives with a calendar built for your exact yard
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