Do you water in the morning or at night?

[roadrunner]

I water in the day time; I don't worry about evaporation, since my garden is heavily mulched, which also makes my watering very infrequent and mostly for seedlings and transplants.

 

[Henry Hucko]

I water in the evening or after the sun set and my gardening is going good.

 

[Chuck]

Ideally one should water during the early morning hours after the sun has risen. If one waters in the late afternoon or in the evening he is asking for fungal problems. The plants stay wetter for longer because of reduced evaporation. Never overhead water during the heat of the day

 

[Sean Regan]

Ideally one should water during the early morning hours after the sun has risen. If one waters in the late afternoon or in the evening he is asking for fungal problems. The plants stay wetter for longer because of reduced evaporation. Never overhead water during the heat of the day

Actually, if I'm at home on a really hot sunny day as I mostly am, I "mist spray" both our acer palmatums around 2.00pm. It stops the leaves from scorching. I've done it for as long as we've had them.

So, around fifteen years for this one

and thirty-five years for this one.

 

[Esther Knapicius]

Right now? no need to water at all. mother nature doing her job. maybe in August, then it will be at night.

 

[Sean Regan]

It's raining here now too, first time in nearly two weeks. But it's just a shower.

 

[Chuck]

Actually, if I'm at home on a really hot sunny day as I mostly am, I "mist spray" both our acer palmatums around 2.00pm. It stops the leaves from scorching. I've done it for as long as we've had them.

So, around fifteen years for this one

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and thirty-five years for this one.

View attachment 63092

I haven't found any research that states afternoon misting is good for plants, anywhere. Perhaps there is. But irregardless of that, in most areas bright afternoon sun can scorch most plants if leaves are wet. The UK is different in this respect as the sunlight there is not as intense as in most areas. As I always say " if it works, don't fix it".

 

[Sean Regan]

I haven't found any research that states afternoon misting is good for plants, anywhere. Perhaps there is. But irregardless of that, in most areas bright afternoon sun can scorch most plants if leaves are wet. The UK is different in this respect as the sunlight there is not as intense as in most areas. As I always say " if it works, don't fix it".

My wife always moaned about me mist watering them. She said that the water droplets magnified the sun's rays and actually caused scorching. I said it was rubbish. Then years later she was watching a gardening programme on the TV and the gardener presenter (a "household name,") said that idea was rubbish too.
As you say the sun isn't so hot over here. I do it for our sambucus too. That seems to perk up a bit after a mist spray.

Our soil is a bit sandy, it is former farmland, part of the original alluvial plain of the River Mersey. It's very free draining. We never get pools of standing water, regardless of how much rain we get.
Consequently it doesn't really matter when I water.
The garden, speaks for itself.

 

[Chuck]

Right now? no need to water at all. mother nature doing her job. maybe in August, then it will be at night.

Please google problems with watering at night.

 

[Chuck]

My wife always moaned about me mist watering them. She said that the water droplets magnified the sun's rays and actually caused scorching. I said it was rubbish. Then years later she was watching a gardening programme on the TV and the presenter said that idea was rubbish too.
As you say the sun isn't so hot over here. I do it for our sambucus too. That seems to perk up a bit after a mist spray.

I don't really think it is the temperature that changes things although maybe it is. I think it has more to do with the intensity. Maybe someone can explain it.

 

[Esther Knapicius]

checked that out, and preferred watering at night, or late afternoon, so the plant absorbs more water and the water does not evaporated in the sun in the morning. but again we are talking for here, maybe one time in one week in August. so no need to be all crazy about it. in fact last year no need to water at all as mother nature did her thing.