Kokusai

Family: Amaryllidaceae Herb

Planting Schedule

Provide your location or planting zone to unlock dates and add Kokusai to a garden.

Fragrant, grassy-green blades rise with a crisp, snappy bite and a clean allium lift that lingers like fresh-cut herbs.

Kokusai chives form tidy clumps in about 45 days, producing slender stems with a tender texture ideal for bright, aromatic garnishes and quick flavoring—at their best when harvested young and lively. Grow Kokusai for a reliable, long-season stand of flavorful chives that keeps your garden tasting vivid from the first snip to the next flush.

Light: Full SunMaturity: 45 DaysHabit: Upright

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Kokusai Planting Dates by USDA Zone

Estimated US hardiness-zone windows for sow, transplant, and harvest. Enter a US ZIP above for exact local dates, or open a zone below.

Zone	Start Indoors	Sow / Transplant	Harvest
Zone 1a	Protected Environment Only
Zone 1b	May 18th	Jul 20th	Sep 3rd – Aug 1st
Zone 2a	May 11th	Jul 13th	Aug 27th – Aug 29th
Zone 2b	May 1st	Jul 3rd	Aug 17th – Aug 25th
Zone 3a	May 1st	Jul 3rd	Aug 17th – Sep 1st
Zone 3b	May 5th	Jul 7th	Aug 21st – Sep 21st
Zone 4a	May 1st	Jul 3rd	Aug 17th – Sep 24th
Zone 4b	Apr 29th	Jul 1st	Aug 15th – Sep 27th
Zone 5a	Apr 24th	Jun 26th	Aug 10th – Sep 30th
Zone 5b	Apr 20th	Jun 22nd	Aug 6th – Oct 5th
Zone 6a	Apr 17th	Jun 19th	Aug 3rd – Oct 10th
Zone 6b	Apr 11th	Jun 13th	Jul 28th – Oct 16th
Zone 7a	Apr 6th	Jun 8th	Jul 23rd – Oct 20th
Zone 7b	Mar 27th	May 29th	Jul 13th – Oct 28th
Zone 8a	Mar 18th	May 20th	Jul 4th – Nov 5th
Zone 8b	Mar 9th	May 11th	Jun 25th – Nov 12th
Zone 9a	Feb 20th	Apr 24th	Jun 8th – Nov 26th
Zone 9b	Jan 26th	Mar 30th	May 14th – Dec 9th
Zone 10a	—	Oct 1st	Nov 15th – Feb 28th
Zone 10b	—	Oct 1st	Nov 15th – Feb 28th
Zone 11a	—	Oct 1st	Nov 15th – Feb 28th
Zone 11b	—	Oct 1st	Nov 15th – Feb 28th
Zone 12a	—	Oct 1st	Nov 15th – Feb 28th
Zone 12b	—	Oct 1st	Nov 15th – Feb 28th
Zone 13a	—	Oct 1st	Nov 15th – Feb 28th
Zone 13b	—	Oct 1st	Nov 15th – Feb 28th

Crop Details

Trait	Value
Days to Maturity	45
Sun Requirements	Full Sun
Growth Habit	Upright
Support Needed	None
Planting Depth	Normal
Germination Temp (°F)	70
Min Soil Temp (°F)	50
Min Night Temp (°F)	40
Harden Off (days)	7

Culinary Notes

Chef's Note

Kokusai chives are all about that lively, grassy allium snap—harvest young and they stay tender instead of turning wiry. Use them late in cooking so the aromatics don’t fade; they should taste like fresh snips, not cooked greens.

Best Uses

thinly sliced garnish for noodle bowls and dumplings
quick-stir flavoring in hot oil or butter—add at the end
fold into egg scrambles, omelets, and fried rice for green lift
make a fast chive-sour cream or yogurt sauce for dunking and topping

Flavor Profile

crisp, snappy allium bite fresh-cut grassy green aromatics clean garlic-onion lift that lingers tender when young, fibrous if held too long

Kitchen Pairings

soy sauce sesame oil ginger rice vinegar eggs tofu

Frequently Asked Questions

What pest or disease commonly affects Allium tuberosum (garlic chives), and how can I control it?

A frequent problem is onion thrips, which cause silvery streaks and stunted growth on the leaves. Spray insecticidal soap or a labeled spinosad product, and remove heavily damaged clumps so the plants can regrow. Also keep weeds down between plants because thrips move through dense cover.

How often should I water Allium tuberosum during its main growing phase?

Water so the top 1 inch of soil stays evenly moist, but never waterlogged; aim for about 1 inch (2.5 cm) per week total during active growth, split across 1–2 waterings as needed. In hot weather, check moisture every 2–3 days because garlic chives keep producing new shoots when moisture is steady. Reduce watering if the soil stays wet to prevent rot at the base.

How do I tell when Allium tuberosum is ready to harvest?

Harvest when plants are well-established and shoots are about 8–12 inches (20–30 cm) tall, typically around 45 days from sowing. You can begin cutting individual outer leaves earlier for fresh use, but take most harvests as clumps reach full height. Cut with scissors just above the soil line or 1–2 inches above it so new green shoots can regrow for additional harvests.