As the summer heat intensifies, timing your watering routine becomes essential to keeping your plants alive and kicking. But do you have to get up with the larks, or stay awake until the dark hours to water your plants at the correct time?
I posed the question to garden experts to discover the strategy behind summer watering and how to avoid damaging flowers, foliage and fruits by watering at the wrong time.
The best time to water your garden
The experts all agree that the best time to water your yard is early in the morning. This may mean setting the alarm clock for some, to make sure you don’t miss the optimal time.
The experts narrow the ‘golden window’ down to between 6 am and 10 am, with Annie Morton, gardening expert and brand ambassador for Hoselink, saying it's worth the effort. “It’s a small habit that costs nothing extra but can transform your garden’s health and resilience over time.”
Noelle Johnson, horticulturist, landscape consultant and garden writer at AZ Plant Lady, adds, “In most regions, the optimal time to water your garden is early in the morning, ideally before the sun gets high and temperatures start to rise.
Watering in the morning gives plants time to absorb moisture before facing the day’s challenges. Think of it as filling a plant’s tank before the day begins
Noelle Johnson, AZ Plant Lady
“Watering in the morning gives plants time to absorb moisture before facing the day’s challenges. Think of it as filling a plant’s tank before the day begins,” she says, and adds that well-hydrated plants are better prepared to handle heat, sunlight, wind, and other stresses.
Watering in the morning also helps to conserve water, as cooler temperatures and calmer winds reduce evaporation. “As a horticulturist”, she says, “I’ve noticed gardeners often focus on how much to water, but the timing can be just as crucial.”
Why morning is best
A good time to absorb moisture
During the day, Johnson says plants expend energy to cope with heat stress, leaving fewer resources to efficiently absorb water when irrigated in the afternoon.
The plant is less susceptible to disease
Giving your plants water in the morning gives the leaves time to dry out, which isn’t always possible at the end of the day. Wet leaves can then lead to fungal disease, such as powdery mildew and leaf spots. Johnson says that watering earlier in the day makes it harder for these diseases to develop.
When you shouldn't water your garden
The middle of the day, between 11 am and 3 pm, is the time to avoid, according to Morton. “The sun and heat cause water to evaporate almost before it reaches the roots, so you’re wasting water, and your plants get very little benefit,” she explains
Top tip
It doesn’t mean you should never water your plants during the day. Morton advises that if a newly planted shrub, vegetable, or container is wilting, it’s better to water immediately than to wait. “Emergency watering is preferable to allowing damage from drought stress,” she says.
When the weather conditions interrupt your watering schedule
“The weather should always guide watering decisions,” says Johnson. “After heavy rain, you might not need to water at all.”
But if a heatwave is forecast, Morton often gives her plants a deep watering in the late afternoon to help them through the night.
You can test the soil’s moisture level to see whether you can give watering a miss for the day.
How to check your soil’s moisture level
Try the ‘finger test'. Johnson says, “Push your finger into soil near a plant’s base up to the second knuckle. If the soil feels moist, cool, or crumbly and sticks to your skin, you can skip watering. If it feels dry, it’s time to water.”
Use a rain gauge. For more accuracy, you could use a rain gauge, which will give you a better indicator than checking your local weather forecast. This decorative Rain Gauge, $17 at Amazon, won’t look out of place in a garden.
When do the experts water their gardens?
Living in Arizona has taught me the value of preparing plants before stress hits.
Noelle Johnson, AZ Plant Lady
Whenever she can, Johnson waters her plants in the morning. “Living in Arizona has taught me the value of preparing plants before stress hits. During summer, I want my trees, shrubs, and flowers to have moisture available before temperatures climb.
“I’ve found plants perform best when hydrated before stress, not trying to recover afterward. That’s why morning watering is one of the smartest and simplest gardening habits to adopt.”
Morton is another creature of habit who waters her plants in the morning, and adds that “consistency, more than anything else, keeps her garden thriving.
Of course, to make your watering easier, you could choose drought-resistant plants if you live in an area particularly susceptible to heatwaves and droughts.
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