How to Grow Chives in a Hot Climate

Select an open site to plant Chinese chives if possible, a place where your chives will not be disturbed. Choose an area with light shade if you do not have an open site. Ensure the soil does not contain weeds and is well fertilized and well drained.

Sow your Chinese chive seeds in the spring or early summer in a seed tray, using 6 to 15 seeds per tray cell. Ten seeds per cell would be ideal.

Transplant the seedling clumps when they reach about 4 inches high, and plant each clump 8 inches apart and 2 inches deep. Chinese chive seedlings can take three to five months to grow 4 inches. Grow in rows from 1 to 2 feet apart if you're growing large quantities of Chinese chives, so the chives can be fertilized and cared for between the rows.

Use a slow-release fertilizer on your chives, since overfertilizing can kill chives.

Water your plants only if the conditions in your area become very dry. Not watering helps your Chinese chives develop deep roots. Give your chives water, however, if you notice the leaf tips beginning to die during the middle of the growing season.

Use garden shears to cut Chinese chive clumps at ground level when the leaves have grown 6 to 8 inches high. Stop cutting after you make two more cuts, allowing your plants to build up the root system. Pick some of the leaves instead of making cuts if you need more chives.