Do you water in the morning or at night?

[dconklin]

I have done both, but I try to water the garden about an hour or so after the sun goes down a little. I don't water the plants in the heat of the day as I have heard that it can cause leaf burn if the sun is shining on them.

Some people have told me that it is better to water them in the morning and then others have told me that it is better to water them at night. Does it make a big difference or should we just water them when they need it?

When I water them in the morning I make sure it is at least an hour before the sun will be shining.

 

[claudine]

Usually, I water my roses at night - it's because I'm a night person and I sleep in the morning. After I wake up, I work or go to classes so I don't really have time to take care of them during daytime. But they grow beautifully so I guess they like being watered so late

 

[ACSAPA]

My daughter and I drink a lot of tap water because it's always hot in Miami. So throughout the day I find all these half filled glasses and cups of tap water sitting around and I just dump them on my plants. I don't like to waste water so even water from washing fruit goes on my plants.

 

[Philphine]

in the morning kinda of by default. i work 2nd shift so it would be too late when i get home (i mean, i could be out there watering after midnight, but the neighbors might talk).

it works out anyway. i get up in the morning and check the pond for debree and the area in general, so i just water whatever i think needs it then.

 

[Babble64]

I tend to water at night. That way if it's going to be a hot day I'm not worrying about it evaporating, so the plants get as much as possible.

I started the nighttime watering habit when my kids were little....every night I'd empty the contents of their kiddie pool onto my gardens, one bucket full at a time. It was always a peaceful end to the day, once my little ones were tucked into bed. That's always still a nice memory, so maybe that's part of the reason I continue to do it this way!

 

[headfullofbees]

I tend to water in the evening when it's warm, and in the morning when it's not, because of evaporation, and because if my plants have had a warm day, they don't go all night without water.

 

[dconklin]

in the morning kinda of by default. i work 2nd shift so it would be too late when i get home (i mean, i could be out there watering after midnight, but the neighbors might talk).

it works out anyway. i get up in the morning and check the pond for debree and the area in general, so i just water whatever i think needs it then.

I live in an area where people are out walking around down our street at 3 AM so nobody even notices if we were awake and outside - or I should say nobody would think anything of it But in our town people talk just because (seriously it can be like a soap opera some days.)

It is easier to see how much water your plants need in the morning then at midnight I would say. I don't have enough light in my yard to see to water them once it gets too dark. If I put a big light out there, I would get eaten by mosquitoes and other bugs. When I water at night it is when the sun is going down but yet I can still see in the yard.

 

[ChanellG]

I water as needed. Sometimes in the morning my plants are still moist so I wait and see how they fare during the day. Because they are all in containers I can water according to the needs of each plant. When it gets really hot I water in the morning and in the evening. Because I water low, I don't have to worry about wet leaves.

 

[zigs]

I water when i'm least likely to get drawn into a mindless conversation about nothing by the village idiots. They all want to know your business and stand talking about nothing for half an hour at least.

 

[ChanellG]

Actually, I wouldn't mind a new thread where we discuss how people deal with folk who want to know your business. At least you know your village idiots. I hate going out to a gathering of some sort and some person I've never met is asking me a bunch of intrusive questions that are none of their business.

 

[Oakster]

I usually water them in the morning before I leave for work but I check to see if the ground is still moist, if it is I will water them when I get home later.

 

[maddie]

I usually water my plants in the morning. I use the water from washing my vegetables and fruits and pulses. However, if it had rained in the night I would water my plants just before sunset. Watering plants later usually attracts insects is what my father has always told me. So I avoid watering plants after sunset.

 

[lurhstaap]

I water my tomatoes in the evening because it's very hot and dry here. Watering in the morning, it seems to me, just guarantees that a lot of the water will evaporate. Watering after the sun has passed its zenith seems to allow more of the water to soak into the ground and actually get to my tomato plants. I've been told I should be watering in the morning, but, honestly, given that my plants are aggressively thriving, if they were to do any better they'd consume the whole garden! So I'm not planning on changing my pattern. XD With different, less water-hungry plants in a wetter climate, though, late watering could conceivably lead to root rot. I would imagine that the best time to water depends on the plants in question and where you're located. There's almost never a one-size-fits-all answer for everything.

 

[taskeinc]

You don't want to water plants and flowers at night because the longer the water sits on the plant, the more you increase your chances of leaf rot because the water will not dry in some cases. The same with misting plants, it's best to mist in the morning or afternoon, giving it plenty of time for the water to evaporate before the sun goes down, or before your lights are off inside your home, if you're watering indoor plants.

 

[papillon]

I have heard that, for a lawn, it's best to give it a really good soaking once a week rather than every day as this will encourage deep roots and make the grass more tolerant of drought. I guess this should be done after sunset to avoid evaporation and leaf burn.