Fellow gardeners.....

[timer lady]

There are 2 rules of thoughts when watering your gardens/plants during very hot weather. I had always thought that the best time to water was at the end of the day toward dusk when things had cooled down.

I've recently been informed that it's better to water early in the morning - I thought that would fry your grass & plantings. I'm trying to keep a newly planted area of perennials that kt & I worked so hard on during the past week, alive & well.

Fellow gardeners ~ what do you do?

 

[AnnieO]

We have a 50-foot garden hose that we have poked hundreds of tiny holes in (difficult child 1 and and ice pick... Aggression out usefully). We wind it in an ess-shape through the garden and turn the water on, low, about 7 PM and then off again about 8 PM. This way the leaves don't get fried and the roots, which need the water most, get it.

 

[hearts and roses]

I generally water in the late afternoon as my schedule permits. The sun is still up, but not directly on the plantings.

I tend to water the roots only of my veggies and all over for the floral plantings.

If I happen to miss the evening watering, I then get up extra early and do it in the early AM before the sun is completely up.

I have never had any problems with my plants/flowers/grass burning from watering in the AM. However, I have had an issue with dusty mold growing on the leaves of my squash plants if the leaves get overly wet when watering in the PM. So, now I take precautions to water only the root areas of those plants. Of course, so far this Spring/Summer, I haven't had to water my plants but twice because of all the stinkin' rain!

 

[Lothlorien]

Early morning...the sun isn't as hot as during the day and dries the remaining water slowly. If you water at night, you can get mushrooms. If you water midday, then the sun will burn it.

 

[Marcie Mac]

The sprinklers go on at 7 A.M. for 10 minutes 4 days a week, soon to be cut down to two days a week because of mandatory water rationing. If you water after 8:00 A.M. you get a fine. I was told by the gardner not to water in the evenings as it doesn't dry up, and plants will get moldy eventually, and not to water during the day as it will fry everything

But it just pees me off that if you happen to be comming home at like 2:00 in the morning, the city sprinklers are on for the medians, and most of it ends up in the street and not on the grass/plants. I don't see them fining themselves

Marcie

 

[Hound dog]

I've always done right before dark. But if it's really hot and dry, I'll do very early morning as well........say around 6 or 7 am.

During evening watering I really soak the ground well.

 

[Marguerite]

evening or morning. The main problem with middle of te day is the risk of the plants being burned through water droplets on them (they act like mini-maginfying glasses).

However, if I see my plants wilting in the middle of a hot summer's day, I go out there with a bucket and carefully pour the water over the soil and into the drainage saucer. As long as I don't wet the plant in the heat.

Never use a sprinkler in the middle of the day, or even late morning on a hot day.

You need to use judgement - if the morning is mild, go ahead. If it's a cloudy day in summer, not too hot - you can water in the middle of the day. But some heatwaves kick in hot and fast, you don't want to risk the plants burning.

Marg

 

[Fran]

Usually in the evening.

 

[goldenguru]

I water in the morning - I have a friend who is an amateur horticulturist. That is her recommendation. Her (educated) theory goes something like this. It is cool enough in the morning that the water doesn't immediately evaporate. And it allows the plants to absorb the water prior to the blistering heat and sunshine giving them enough moisture to tolerate the heat well.

I also notice that golf courses usually water their greens very early in the morning.

 

[timer lady]

husband's brother has his degree in landscaping or horticulture (cannot remember which) & I asked him. He told me mornings as well.

I had always watered at the end of a very hot day ~ I let it go last night & am watering even as we speak. We'll see how it goes.

by the way, I always thought golf courses watered in the morning because the course closes up shortly after the last golfer gets off the course.

Thanks all.

 

[donna723]

I've always heard that you should water in the late evening, after the hottest part of the day is over. It seems like, if you water in the morning, much of it will just evaporate as the day gets warmer. But if you water in the late afternoon, it's much cooler by then and the plant has all night to soak up the water before the heat of the next day.

 

[trinityroyal]

I think our sprinklers are timed to go on at about 4 am, which is about an hour before the sun starts to come up. Late enough that the water has a chance to dry out during the day, but early enough that the evaporation happens slowly.

Also, this ensures that I don't get a soaker when I try to get in my car in the morning, as I'm the one parked closest to the garden fence.

 

[Marg's Man]

Here in Sydney we have just gone off water restrictions/rationing after a 5 year long drought. As a result we have been getting water saving tips on our gardening programmes for the last four years.

The general consensus is "Water in the evening". The idea is that the water gets its best chance to percolate deep into the soil before the heat returns the next day. Plant roots are encouraged to go deep in the cooler parts of the soil, shallow roots stay near the surface and lose moisture.

Marg's already mentioned the lens effect of droplets if you water during daylight hours, we've lost plants because they got burned by the little 'lenses'

Marg's Man

 

[daralex]

It's been raining for what feels like weeks on end here so it hasn't been much of an issue. I always watered in the evening (for convenience mostly). By the end of a hot day my mums are usually screaming for a drink. I'm curious though, now that I read all this , about morning watering. I'll give it a try and see what the mums say.

Dara

 

[timer lady]

Thanks all for your input. I think I'll stroll down our block & back & ask my neighbors. We have one of the most beautiful blocks in the city ~ serious gardeners here. A neighbor on the corner planted her entire front yard with native plants & grasses ~ it looks gorgeous. And a great deal easier (I would think) to care for as it's native to our region.

I watered this morning ~ earlier this week I watered at night. The only thing I noticed that my hanging baskets got a bit droopy during the day when I watered at night.

The debate lingers. My guess would be 3 a.m.

 

[Star*]

This is fact:

If you are watering it is always best to water grass, plants in the morning.

The reason being is that plants love humidity. They thrive in it. If you water in the morning the sun from the day will work with the water to create humidity and gives the plants more humidity. It also means that they have more dry roots for the night time. Most grasses, plants do not like to have their roots wet all night long. It can cause root rot. And like Loth said - rot creates mushrooms.

Little known fact - if you are growing tomatos - they require 1 gallon per day per plant and do NOT like to have their leaves wet. A little rain is going to fall into every tomato plant life - but they prefer to be watered at the base of the plant avoiding misting as much as possible.

Also there is a definite guide to planting a garden called a companion guide. Just because you put it in the garden doesnt' mean it will get along with it's neighbor. There are plants that thrive together very easy child and others that will get along like difficult child and easy child. (no I'm not kidding)

Another tip - when you are transplanting a plant - some need only go up one pot size - and if you don't have broken shards of terra cotta pots to put in the bottom for drainage -= try a coffee filter so that the dirt doesn't run out into the saucer!! If you ever have any questions about what soil or mixing or pot size or what likes what in a garden please pm me I'll be glad to help. I love to grow stuff. I mostly love to take stuff from people that is technically on the brink of death and put in in my plant hospital and nurse it back to health. Everything in my front yard was grown that way -

 

[Marguerite]

You're right about tomatoes and about companion planting. I've got a garden bed full of tomato plants growing in the wrong season. We've had a lot of rain (advantage of living on the coastal strip) so all the plants are lush. Trouble is, they won't flower at this time. And I know as soon as the weather warms up, there will be too many plants in that bed to survive and to produce anything. Unless I'm lucky.

BUT - if I can sow some basil in there to companion-plant, I might have a chance. We're temperate enough so if I can sow basil in late winter, I'll have a spring crop of bail and maybe a tomato or two. I just have to get the plants through winter.

Lucky we're frost-free here! But we DO get icy cold winds off the south pole, so the plants hopefully are sufficiently sheltered behind a high fence.

Marg

 

[LittleDudesMom]

I'll tell you what I do which is contrary to what the experts say. First, I don't worry about my grass. The lawn is lovely in the spring and into the early summer but by late July it begins to dry out. I don't want the expense of the water so I just let it do it's own thing!

Now I do have alot of plants in pots and several perinial gardens with annuals thrown in. I water one day in the early morning before it gets hot and then the next day I water in the evening before the sun goes down. That way it 's every day but almost like every other. You are not supposed to water in the evening (at least that's what the local experts say) because of the chance of mildew but I've never had a problem and my plants thrive like crazy.

Never heard about tomato plants not liking their leaves wet. My plants are in the very back of the yard and are too far for the hose to reach. I put the power sprayer on the nozzle and stand about 20/30 feet back and water the plants like it's raining. They seem to be doing fine and I already have many that have turned yellow/orange. What is the reason for keeping the leaves dry?

Sharon

 

[Marguerite]

The problem with wet leaves on tomato plants is the risk of fungal attack, the lower leaves get mildewy and drop off. The problem then moves up the tomato plant. The problem is much worse in humid climates like ours in Sydney. If it's arid where you are, you can get away a bit more with wet tomato foliage.

Marg