When do you water?

[Little Minnie]

With drip irrigation I can water whenever I want. But I am a stickler about watering in the AM for sprinklers in the garden and lawn (usually in the lawn but not quite so important). If you water in the morning it isn't windy and hot yet so the water is more useful for lack of better terms. But most importantly, the plants don't sit around all damp for hours. If you water in the evening the plants will be dripping wet all night and yes it does lead to fungal problems. I believe there is a reason people say to water in the AM!

[Zinniagirl]

My garden and flower beds are small enough (takes me about an hour to an hour and a half) that I can use the wand and water near the soil surface and get very little water on the leaves. Usually I start around 6 a.m. this time of year. If I haven't watered for days and the plants look stressed in the evening, I will water then but that is rare.

[Tutter]

Originally Posted by Little Minnie

If you water in the evening the plants will be dripping wet all night and yes it does lead to fungal problems. I believe there is a reason people say to water in the AM!

I can tell you that our garden gets watered at night, and has for thirty years, with none of the fungal problems you think it will cause. We do have sandy soil here that drains well, I can't speak to how well night watering works in other areas with different conditions.

I do notice that most of the folks who tell me not to water at night have never tried it.

[Durgan]

http://www.durgan.org/URL/?XRXAU 21 June 2012 Watering Methods.
I seldom water except for very young plants, and extreme dry conditions. I don’t have a sprinkler on the property, and consider them inefficient and not very effective, except for watering grass. I never water grass.

Usually I utilize my four barrels of rain water. The wheelbarrow is used to transport the rainwater to the garden area, utilizing a milk cartoon carrier(or egg carton carrier)as a baffle to prevent spillage due to wave action when moving the wheelbarrow.

In extreme dry conditions it is necessary to use city water.The city water is delivered to the plant root system using a water wand cut off and pushed into the requires area. In the main garden it is very easy to walk along a row and push the wand into the ground every few feet and get the water to roots, where it is required.The foliage is not wetted, and there is little wastage of water.

[RolandClose]

I have to be at work before the sun comes up. On work days I water in the evening when it has cooled down. On my days off I water in the early a.m. and in the evening. I container garden so all my water goes right where I need it to go. I too use rain barrel water and city water when I have to. Never a problem with mold.

[VA Gardener]

I water in the evenings after work. I water under the tomato plants, not on the leaves. Everything else gets watered overhead.

[Little Minnie]

Automatic shut off.

[HopsNCrops]

Originally Posted by LarryS

I often water in the morning because the plants and soil are cooler
then.

Whether true or not, I don't think it is good to water plants in the
heat of the day.

And then again, wine time starts at 4:30 PM and I don't want the wine
police to catch me in noncompliance. :>)

My plants never seem to mind a cool drink in the heat of the day, kinda perks them up. I know I would hate to be out in the sun all day without a beverage!

[zeedman]

When I had time to do so, I watered by overhead sprinklers in late afternoon / early evening. The wind usually dies down about then, but the plants still had time to dry out before dark. When I lived in SoCal, I would frequently turn on the overhead sprinklers after dark, eat dinner, then turn them off... in that climate, I had no problems with that technique.

Now I usually water around noon or so. The plants seem to appreciate the spray in the heat of the day, they really perk up quickly & I've seen no ill effects. I mulch heavily around most plants, so I'm not overly worried about loss of water due to evaporation.

[gixxerific]

I use soaker hoses mainly, I can water whenever with those but mainly morning. But with overhead I try to do morning it is very humid here so I don't want to help the diseases.

Though lately it has be so frickin hot I have been giving thema short hit late afternoon just to cool them off. It's been 106 -+ for several day's here. On our 9th -10th day of over 100. They need much more water.