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.
When To Stop Watering Plants in Fall. When the air and soil temperatures consistently fall below 40 F, it's time to stop watering. The ground can't absorb water once the top few inches freeze. Continue to water your plants up until this point so they're as well-hydrated as possible going into winter.
The best time to water your garden in summer is from 6 am to 10 am—before the heat of the day sets in, giving your plants plenty of time to drink up and any moisture on the leaves to dry off before nightfall. What is this? If watering in the morning isn't possible, the next best time is from 4 pm to 7 pm.
Avoid watering when temperatures are below 40°F or when sustained freezing temperatures are expected within 24 hours as this water will freeze and not be available to the plants.
Water Young Plants and Flowers Daily Until Established
Most young varieties call for daily watering (skip rainy days) until roots are developed, which happens around the two week mark. At that point, you can taper off and move to a weekly schedule if the variety allows.
Q. How often should plants be watered? Water once or twice per week, using enough water to moisten the soil to a depth of about 6 inches each time.
Container plants generally need to be watered daily. During really hot weather, you may need to even water twice a day, especially smaller containers. Do the finger test to see if the potting mix feels dry two inches down.
In hot weather you need to water in the mornings when it is cooler. This will allow more water to reach the root system before it evaporates in the heat. There may be times when you cannot schedule watering in the morning. In this case, water the plants in the late evening before bed.
The best time to water plants is in the morning or evening.
Morning watering is actually preferable to evening watering as the plant has time to dry before the sun goes down. At night, water tends to rest in the soil, around the roots, and on the foliage, which encourages rot, fungal growth, and insects.
During really hot weather, water your vegetables at least two to three times a week. Watering the garden deeply is critical. The water must go down, down, down to encourage deep roots and get away from the hot soil surface.
When. Hands down, the best time of day to water is early in the morning. Watering during the day can increase risk of disease. If you can't water early in the morning, water late in the evening, especially before days forecasted to have dangerously high temps.
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.
Watering them in the early morning gives the plant enough time to soak up the water during the day and all the excess water to run out of the pot. Late afternoon is OK, too, as long as the leaves have enough time to dry.
Wetting leaves.
Plants get their moisture through their roots, not their leaves. Direct watering to the soil surface and avoid wetting leaves because water helps spread some plant diseases. Use a watering wand to reach ground level or a soaker hose or trickle irrigation system to wet the soil rather than the leaves.
Browning leaves are typically caused by under watering, sunburn, or overwatering. If the leaf tips are turning brown and crunchy, the soil likely became too dry for too long in between waterings. This can also cause the plant to drop leaves.
Even in wet seasons, watering usually helps, because the water that falls then isn't all available to plants. Roots need air to function, and a “cats and dogs” rain temporarily drives all the air out of the ground.
Water after rain.
Believe it or not the best time to water is after rain, when the ground has been softened and is more receptive. Extra water at this point tops up the rainfall, so it can penetrate further down into the soil. This is a great way to build up meaningful soil moisture.
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.
Leaf scorch is caused by failure of the tree to supply enough water to the leaves at a critical time, usually in July and August. A great amount of water evaporates from the leaf surface because of sun and wind during hot, dry weather. If the water supply is deficient, the exposed leaves dry out and scorch.
Warm water doesn't damage plants. However, you need to make sure your water is “warm” rather than “hot.” This is because hot water can affect the plant and damage the microorganisms in the soil. To prevent this from happening, make sure the water you are using is either lukewarm or cool.
You can either water your plant in the sink and let excess drain off before putting it back in its decorative pot, or put it in a decorative pot with a saucer, to catch excess. You might also try poking holes in the soil with a pencil, to help air circulate.