What Is the Best Time to Water Plants?

Backyard gardeners tend to disagree on what time a garden should be watered. Is it morning, late afternoon, or night? Many gardeners have arguments for each option and have lush, healthy gardens to prove their choice. But the experts at Tree Service York PA agree: There is one--just one--best time to water plants.

In the early morning.

If you’re a night owl, you probably don’t like the sound of that. Maybe you’ve been taught that it’s best to water in the evening when the sun can’t zap all the water through evaporation. Sadly, someone gave you bad advice. Shame on them. Watering at night can lead to damp leaves, root rot, and powdery mildew on your plants.

If you want your plants to thrive, you’ll have to start cranking that hose on a little earlier than you might like, at least for the summer months. Here’s why early morning is the optimal time to water plants:

1. Watering before the heat rises gives plants enough water to last the day. Plants need a chance to soak up as much water as they can before the hot sun can steal it away. Saturating your garden in the morning allows water to run down the root system, nourishing the whole plant.
2. Watering early allows the plant to dry out  thoroughly by nightfall. This is important because, as we already mentioned, roots and leaves left wet through the night create the perfect conditions for mildew and rot. Once powdery mildew gets ahold of your plants, it can be hard to eradicate.

If you absolutely cannot water in the early morning, you have a few options. You can set up a smart garden with a timer-controlled watering system. With this method, you can set the timer to water whenever you’d like and for as long as you want. It’s hands-free gardening! For a less time and labor intensive investment, water in the late afternoon. This is the second best time to water plants, according to expert arborists.

No matter what time you choose to water; Happy planting, happy watering, and may the growth be ever in your favor.