No, you should not water chives every day. A clump sitting in soggy, daily-watered soil turns yellow and rots at the base. The same plant watered deeply once a week stays upright and green. So watering chives less often is the right call for a healthy plant. If you are wondering how often to water chives that are already growing, the honest answer is far less than most people think. Daily watering feels like care, but for this herb it does the opposite. You end up working against the plant instead of helping it.
The reason comes down to how the plant works. Chives are drought tolerant once their roots take hold. They store water in small underground bulbs, so they ride out a few dry days with no trouble at all. That built-in reserve is why a missed watering rarely hurts them. Soil that stays wet all the time fills the air pockets around the roots. Those roots need oxygen, and constant water shuts it off. The plant then starts to rot from the base instead of pushing up new green growth. In short, a thirsty chive bounces back, but a drowned one struggles to recover.
Timing depends on how settled the plant is. An established clump needs no extra water at all in normal weather. Rain handles it for you most of the year. You only step in during a long dry spell, and even then a deep soak once a week beats a daily sprinkle. A slow, deep drink pulls the roots downward and builds a tougher plant. Newly planted chives are the exception to all of this. Their roots have not spread yet, so they need steady, even moisture until they take hold. That settling-in period takes a few weeks, and during it you keep the soil damp but never waterlogged. Once you see fresh growth standing up on its own, you can ease off and let the plant fend for itself.
Let the top inch (2.5 cm) of soil dry between waterings. Water established chives deeply during dry spells instead of a little every day, since wet roots cause rot.
Watch out for overwatering chives, since it does more damage than a few dry days ever will. The warning signs are easy to spot once you know them. Look for yellow, floppy leaves and a mushy, brown base where the stems meet the soil. A sour smell from the soil is another red flag. If you catch it early, hold off on water and let the soil dry, and the plant often pulls through. If you grow chives in a pot, drainage matters even more than it does in a garden bed. The container must have holes in the bottom, and you should empty any saucer that collects water. A pot that sits in a puddle drowns the roots fast, since the water has nowhere to escape.
Build a simple habit and your chives will reward you with months of fresh leaves. Push a finger into the soil before you reach for the watering can. If the top inch (2.5 cm) still feels damp, wait another day or two. Water only when it has dried out, and when you do, water deeply so the moisture reaches down to the roots. Slow and deep every week or so works far better than fast and shallow each day. Outdoor chives in the ground will often want nothing from you at all once the rains come. Get this rhythm right and your chives stay green, firm, upright, and ready to snip all season long without any rot at the base.
Read the full article: Chives Plant: A Complete Growing Guide
