Watering garden plants throughout the summer is crucial in order for them to thrive, but when to do so and how often is often a grey area.
Whilst some experts recommend watering in the mornings, others recommend the evening, and some recommend twice a day.
This does depend on the plants you have in the garden and how hot it is, but the RHS has shared the best time to hydrate plants.
Morning Watering Benefits
They were happy to explain, “Water your plants in the mornings, as this is when the sun comes up and plants will start to use water. The foliage and soil surface is also likely to stay drier for longer than evening watering, which is great for discouraging slugs, snails and mildew diseases. Plants start to transpire in sunlight, drawing water from the soil, through their roots, up their stems and out through tiny pores on their leaves called stomata.”
Evening watering is what some people prefer but it can attract pests such as slugs, especially if the weather is humid.
Avoid Midday Watering
The experts added: “Watering in the heat of the day is not a good idea as much water is lost through evaporation from the surface of the soil and the plants will use water more efficiently if watered in the cooler parts of the day.”
According to the gardening pros, there is no simple rule of thumb for watering as each plant has different needs.
Some container plants will need more watering than ones in a flower bed, whilst ones in direct sunlight may need heavier watering.
Factors Affecting Watering Frequency
Factors affecting how often to water include the size of the plant, where it is grown as well as the weather.
The RHS noted: “Signs that your plant may need more frequent watering include less than expected growth of foliage or production of fruit or flowers. Leaves or stems that look dull or lost their shine, sometimes darker or paler than normal.”
Other signs you need to get the hose out include a change in the position of leaves, wilting as well as symptoms of powdery mildew.
If the surface of the soil or compost is dry, it doesn’t necessarily mean the plant needs water.
Water is needed at the root tips, so surface moisture isn’t always a good indicator, according to the experts.
They continued: “If using the touch test, push your finger down into the compost or soil to at least knuckle depth to see if it is damp, rather than just feeling the surface.”
Make sure to water them deeply and thoroughly, allowing them to effectively drain with holes in the bottom of containers.
