Evening watering

[tbendl]

The hubby and I were talking about the new flowers I planted yesterday and here is the question. Can I water them in the early evening after they are out of sun or do I have to water them in the morning? My mornings are usually hectic, (by hectic I mean I would rather drink coffee by the pond and flowers rather than water them. So with that being said, is it ok to water in the evenings?

 

[marlingardener]

I'd think evening watering would be fine if you water the ground, and not the foliage. Wet foliage, especially in our humid climates, can lead to some very interesting fungal diseases. I prefer to water in the morning simply because I'm fresher and less likely to skip some plants or not water enough.
I have two watering cans that I have removed the heads (perforated part) and use them to pour water around the base of plants if I'm watering when the plants are in the sun.

 

[tbendl]

Oh good to know. I was using the hose on mist. So really with the humidity, day or night, it's better to water the base instead of the flowers. Would a soaker hose be the way to go? That I could run in the mornings while I'm having coffee.

 

[Sheal]

I always water in the evenings for two reasons. The first is.....the sun is on my front garden during the summer months in the early hours of the morning at around 3am and I refuse to get up that early! Secondly......if plants are watered in the evening the soil stays moist longer through the overnight hours.

 

[IcyBC]

I have always water my garden in the evening when the sun has long gone, or early in the morning if it has been too humid for days. I was advised that it is one way to save water as it won't evaporate too fast.

I also learned something new from @marlingardener

 

[Sheal]

that it is one way to save water as it won't evaporate too fast.

I certainly agree with that, not that I need to worry it rains a lot here.

 

[tbendl]

IcyBC we are extremely humid here as well and Sheal, I don't blame you one bit. Does anyone use or have used a soaker hose?

 

[claudine]

I often water my miniature roses and other plants in the middle of the night, because I'm a night person and I hate mornings They all are doing great.

 

[marlingardener]

Soaker hoses are great! We used them on the flower beds when we lived in town, and could just hook up the regular hose from the tap to the soaker hose, on very low flow, and let everything get a good drink for an hour.
Here on the farm the distance between beds and vegetable gardens makes hooking up to soaker hoses pretty impossible. Sometimes when I'm hauling the umpteenth watering can I think fondly of soaker hoses . . . .

 

[JBtheExplorer]

So with that being said, is it ok to water in the evenings?

If it wasn't, my plants would all be dead! I've always watered in the evenings, never in the AM.

Many of my plants are drought tolerant, so I don't water nearly as much as I used to. Using wood chips also cuts down on the watering a lot.

 

[grouie]

I am a morning person and watering is done in the morning but as @IcyBC says evenings is better as there is no evaporation.

 

[tbendl]

Thanks all! JB I also used wood chips. I had a potted flower garden last year but wanted something a little wilder and natural so I've pulled everything out and replanted, including the landscape fabric I put down. After reading the comments about how it actually helps weeds grow. Here is what I have so far.

 

[Sheal]

It's looking good tbendl! Are the plants in the pots Irises?

 

[tbendl]

I think so, they were growing wild against the fence and in my pond when I dug it out last year. I put them in pots filled with sand and they did well last year so I transplanted some into the pond and others into the larger pots. And thanks Sheal, I'm excited and in love with the green growy things.

 

[gata montes]

I too would agree with marlingardener that its is best to water your plants in the early morning before the sun comes up.

Especially as it is now recommended after recent research found - although there are obviously exceptions to this, when say for instance you are experiencing extremely hot weather and it may be necessary to water both in the morning and the evening and particularly in the case of edible crops - that due to the dampness of the soil - watering plants in the evening made them more susceptible to fungal and bacterial infections and in particular - powdery mildew.

However if you have no alternative and have to water your plants in the evening - if you can get to water them before the sun goes down - it does help to limit the possibilities of fungal and bacterial infections.