Chive clumps
Amaryllidaceae · Purchased nursery plants · compact garden planning guide
| Bed spacing | 8 × 8 in (203.2 × 203.2 mm) |
|---|---|
| Minimum sun used | 4 hours per day |
| Root depth used | 150 mm (5.9 in) |
| Container volume used | 3 L |
| Spring preparation | -14 to 0 days from your last frost |
| Maturity estimate | 30–60 days from planting the seedling |
Square-bed spacing, root-space and sun thresholds, spring offsets, germination check ranges, harvest occupancy and clearance days are selected planning settings. They are not universal cultivar rules or a guaranteed harvest schedule. Packet, nursery and local guidance take precedence.
Before planting
Use established small clumps; four hours is a trial threshold, not a yield promise.
Establish
Plant a nursery clump at its existing soil level and water it in.
Tend and harvest
Check that the clump is rooting; leave new growth before the first cut. Cut a few leaves above the base and allow regrowth between cuts.
Plans using this crop
No indoor seed starting · 6+ hours sun
4×8 herb kitchen bed
Separate kitchen-herb zones with purchased compact seedlings and clumps.
Compact basil · Compact parsley · Chive clumps
Lower sun · 4+ hours sun
2×8 narrow planting strip
A two-foot-wide strip with every planting position close to a long edge.
Leaf lettuce · Chive clumps
Small containers · 4+ hours sun
Three 20 L leafy containers
One leafy crop per pot with a 60 L total mix requirement.
Leaf lettuce · Chive clumps · Compact parsley
Small containers · 6+ hours sun
Four 25 L kitchen containers
Four useful kitchen crops in individual containers and a 100 L mix order.
Compact basil · Compact parsley · Chive clumps · Swiss chard
Small containers · 4+ hours sun
Six 8 L herb pots
Six small pots for compact parsley plants and chive clumps.
Chive clumps · Compact parsley
References
- UMN Extension: Growing herbs
Herb spacing depends on mature size. Our spacing and partial-sun thresholds are compact-cultivar planning choices; full sun is preferable.
- UMD Extension: Growing vegetables in containers and salad tables
Sun exposure, drainage, growing media and crop-specific minimum volumes; our thresholds are conservative planning settings.
- UMN Extension: Planting the vegetable garden
Cool and warm season establishment; weather and soil readiness matter. Minnesota month dates are not used as global dates.
- UMN Extension: Planting for fall harvest
Maturity is a cultivar-dependent estimate; our extra 14-day fall buffer is an explicit planning assumption.
Updated 2026-10-13. We have not field-tested the plan in your climate.