Plants should be watered after 6 p.m. and before sunset, giving any damp leaves a chance to dry. Early morning as the sun rises also works well, keeping the spores in check.
Best Time to Water Lawns: Before Sunrise
A few reasons: Wind typically picks up as the day goes on. You don't want your precious water droplets to blow away. The sun will cause your water to evaporate before it can soak into your soil.
The best time to water outdoor plants is in the morning when temperatures are usually cooler. This gives the plants time to absorb the water so they can get through a long, hot day. The second-best time is late in the afternoon or early in the evening. Try not to water at night.
Watering right before sunrise is ideal, so set up a timer. You'll avoid the heat of the day and prevent evaporation. Early watering also allows plants to dry off well before nightfall, when fungal diseases take root. Avoid spraying plant foliage during watering since it makes them more prone to disease.
The best time to water is early in the morning when it's still cool, which preps the plants for a hot day, but that's not always easy to accomplish with a busy schedule. The second-best time is late in the afternoon or early evening.
The ideal time to water them is in the morning before 10 am. 6 am would be good; 3 am is a bit early but also okay. The worst time to water is between 10 am and 2 pm, when the sun is hottest. Late afternoon through around 6 pm, or even later in the summer when days are long, is okay.
Most plants shut down during extreme heat, so if it is over 100 degrees, it may be best to wait to water even if your plant is stressed. Throw a damp sheet over it, or mist it lightly to bring the temperature down.
Plants should be watered after 6 p.m. and before sunset, giving any damp leaves a chance to dry. Early morning as the sun rises also works well, keeping the spores in check.
In the summertime the few hours before and after sunrise are the prime time for watering, usually between 5 am and 9 am. There are several reasons for this: Watering in the morning when the temperatures are cool allows the water time to soak deeply into the soil before the heat of the day causes it to evaporate.
Keep in mind that morning sun, which is cooler and less intense, is easier on shade loving plants then the hot afternoon sun. Plants that receive too much intense light will scorch if pushed into too much hot sun.
As the weather heats up and plants reach full size, you may need to water containers (and especially hanging baskets) twice a day.
During spring and summer in Southern California, she suggests drip watering three times a week for 18 minutes, then adjusting from there if the soil is too wet or dry. Don't know how to tell? Stick your finger in the soil. If it's consistently moist 2 inches down, your plants are fine.
How much water do plants need a day? Plants don't need daily watering. Instead, water deeply but less frequently. Deep waterings allow the water to seep beneath the roots, which encourages the roots to grow downward.
During the blue "hour", red light passes through space while blue light is scattered in the atmosphere, and thus reaches Earth's surface. Blue hour usually lasts about 20–96 minutes right after sunset and right before sunrise. Time of year, location, and air quality all have an impact on the exact timing of blue hour.
The blue hour generally lasts the 20 to 30 minutes just after sunset and just before sunrise.
The humidity aids scattering, intensifying colors. The sun sinks into the Pacific Ocean, far from any land mass that could disturb the atmosphere or break the horizon line. The angle of a sunset over water is as good as it can get.
If you forgot to water in the morning, there's still that window in the late afternoon, between 3-5pm. That time, when the sun is almost setting, is perfect because the temperature has already started dropping. In addition, there is also enough sun to aid in water evaporation.
Full sun plants don't necessarily need all-day sunlight, but they generally need at least six hours. Afternoon sun tends to be stronger than morning sun, so if you know you can only offer a plant six hours of sun exposure, plant it in a spot that gets most of its sunlight in the afternoon.
During extremely hot weather (daytime temperatures above 90F and nighttime temperatures above 70F), try to water daily or every other day. In a 10x10-foot garden, this would mean giving your plants 8 to 9 gallons of water each day.
In times of extreme heat, 1-2 times each week may be necessary. Know your plants though! Some plants prefer almost zero water during summer (manzanita, Ceanothus, madrone and cistus) and others wilt even when they have ample water (hydrangea, rhododendron). So adjust watering accordingly.
The notion that wet leaves on sunny days cause scorch in plants was disproved nearly ten years ago. But there is no doubt that watering in full sun is not water efficient – as much of it will evaporate before entering the soil. In the current hot breezy weather it is probably best to water in the early evening.
So, how hot IS too hot for plants? The general answer is around 90 degrees F, with some exceptions to the rule.
But don't overwater
Plants sometimes wilt from the severe sun, even when they have sufficient water. Test the soil before you water, Young said. If a pot feels heavy or the soil feels damp an inch or so under the ground, your plant probably doesn't need more moisture.