The worst time to water plants is a factor that can ensure you to stick to the best plant care practices.
This can also ensure you don’t have to keep reinventing the wheel and prevent you from losing your garden plants.
While regular watering is highly recommended, this post helps you to know when to avoid watering your plants.
Contents
When Is the Worst Time to Water Plants?
The worst time to water plants is at midday and in the evening. The midday temperature is the highest at noon, and it will evaporate the water before reaching the roots. In the evening the weather is cold, and soil is warm, and irrigation will make them susceptible to diseases.
– Midday
Midday is not an ideal time to water plants since the temperatures are at their peak. Watering plants from 12 pm to 3 pm will lead to evaporation of the water provided. On the other hand, when the day is filled with some windy conditions can also evaporate the water. This means the plant’s roots won’t adequately soak in the water.
– In the Evening
Watering in the evening is also not advisable since prolonged wet stems and foliage make plants susceptible to pathogens and diseases. For instance, when you water plants using a sprinkler or pipe, the leaves and roots will stay wet for longer.
As this is a factor that makes them more prone to diseases. However, consider using drip irrigation if you forget to water your plants early in the morning, you may try drip irrigation provides water to your plants in a slow and controlled manner.
– In Winter
Avoid watering your plants when the temperatures are still low during winter. Water at midday when the weather is warmer. This allows your plants to soak and absorb water before it freezes later in the day.
While you may assume that plants are dormant during winter, they still need to be hydrated. Leaving your plants unattended in winter means they might not survive to spring.
What Is the Right Moment To Water Plants?
The right moment to water your plant is in the morning, as you have to check the soil status, and to determine how compact it is. Check the type of water you must irrigate, and use it for the level of the soil, adopt drip irrigation, discard excess water.
Make sure that you would provide it with enough water, and this would show you should pour enough water to soak each plant. Which means that you should pour water until it drains from the other side of the container.
Because you should be aware when is the proper time to water plants, as watering in the wee hours of the morning is better than watering in the evening. Ideally, water your plants before the sun comes out.
On the other hand, it should be noted that avoiding watering plants in the evening isn’t the only thing to bear in mind. Most gardeners tend to dribble a few drops to avoid overwatering their plants; however, this won’t help the plants since the roots aren’t close to the surface.
– Check the Soil Status
A glimpse of the soil surface isn’t enough to tell whether you’re under watering or overwatering your plants. Perform the knuckle test to determine whether the soil is damp or soggy.
If the soil is soggy, it means you should not water your plants for the next two to three days. Recheck and water the plant if the soil feels dry.
A quick way to determine whether your plants need water is to stick your finger into the soil, which is called the knuckle test. If the soil feels dry, then you need to water the plant. However, if you detect dampness, recheck in a day or two.
For smaller indoor plants, if the container plants feel lighter than usual, consider providing water. Lift the container again to know how heavy the plants should be when the soil is well watered.
– Determine the Compactness of the Soil
After watering your indoor or outdoor plant for years, you should expect the potting medium to be compact. With compact soil, water should run out of the containers much faster. As a result, the plant roots won’t absorb enough water.
Consider repotting your soil if it’s compact, and it would be aerated afterward in a proper way. Make sure that you would settle for the right quality potting mix to ensure the soil doesn’t become compact within a short time.
– Type of Water
The type of water used to water your plants matters a great deal. Most gardeners use tap water, which is a good thing. However, it’s worth noting that fluoride or chlorine in your water could cause minor problems.
Some plants may not tolerate these chemicals in water, including calatheas, it plants, and carnivorous types. What you can do is collect some rainwater for your plants since it works well with all plant types. Plus, it will help you save money on water bills.
– Irrigate at the Soil Level
For potted indoor and outdoor plants, water them at the soil level. With this method, you’ll provide water to specific areas where the plants need it—the roots. Avoid watering the leaves since this can lead to diseases if the water sits too long.
– Use Drip Irrigation
One of the main perks of drip irrigation is that it ensures your plants get enough water at the right time. If you’re forgetful, drip irrigation works best since you don’t have to worry about watering your plants at noon or in the evening, because it would be a bit slower when it is getting its water, hence it would ensure proper absorption. Plus, it’s a great way to conserve water.
– Discard Any Excess Water
After watering your plants, it’s also important to discard any excess water. Let the water drain for about 15 minutes, and recheck your plants.
If water still sits on the plant, drain it since it can lead to root rot, and a number of other problems too.
– Be Aware of The Plant’s Requirements
You don’t have to water your plants every day. Plants have varying water requirements. Some need to be watered twice or thrice weekly. Others may require even less than that. Therefore, it’s influential to know how your plants take in water to ensure you only water them when they require water.
When you know the plant property, and you have to check the right location, and where it should be placed. If it is an outside one, you must water plant at least once every week. But the frequency of watering your plants depends on the plants you have in your garden.
Some require more water than others. Therefore, it’s important to arm yourself with the right knowledge about your plant’s water requirements. As a rule of thumb, water the plants when the soil feels dry. During the watering process, be careful not to down the roots.
What Is the Best Time to Water Plants in Hot Weather?
The best time to provide water to garden plants in hot weather is to water early and be consistent with your watering. Irrigate the plants early in the morning when the temperatures are cooler, in the morning allow water to reach the plant roots before evaporating in the heat.
When you don’t have time to schedule morning watering, water late in the evening before bed. When doing this, ensure you don’t water the leaves.
– Be Consistent
If you didn’t water your plant for a week or so, it doesn’t mean you can make up for it by overwatering the plants. Although the poured amount is going to evaporate, which means you must give it efficiently, but not in an excessive way.
Remember that they do suffer when you deprive them of water, but they would also suffer from the abundance of it. For healthy plant growth, you should consistently water the plants, and check the soil’s drought as well. What you can do is to develop a watering schedule and stick to it, and if you notice your plants are dry or weak, your watering schedule needs to be adjusted.
– Slow Down
You may have wondered, how long to water plants with hose, well, one of the main perks of using a soaker hose is that it allows you to slow down the application of water. Watering in high-pressure water only leads to a runoff, leaving the soil poorly irrigated.
Slow down and make every drop count. Opt for low-pressure hose options to ensure you provide your plants with sufficient water in hot weather.
– Know Your Plants’ Behavior
Watering plants in hot weather also demands that you know your plants’ behavior. You should be able to spot changes to determine whether your plants need more water. For instance, some plants droop in hot temperatures as a defense mechanism.
Such plants revive in cooler temperatures to absorb enough water. Moreover, other plants would be prone to droop when they lack enough water. In such cases, drooping signifies that your plants need more water.
Conclusion
So, you now know the worst time to water plants and the most appropriate time to do it. Here’s a recap of the most important things to bear in mind when watering your plants:
- Avoid watering your plants at midday since temperatures are high. Your plants might not get enough water due to evaporation.
- Avoid watering plants in the evening since the plant’s roots might soak longer, leaving them vulnerable to pests and diseases.
- When watering your plants, always check the soil status first, water at the plant level, and water consistently.
- Watering your plants at midday and in the evening are not the best times to provide your plants with water.
Knowing the worst time to water plants ensures you provide your plants with water when they require some. This is an integral aspect that determines how healthy your plants are.
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