Is it better to water garden plants in the late evening or early morning?

Yes!, to both! :-D

However, there is nothing stopping you from watering at any time of day, so long as the water doesn't sit on the foliage and flowers in very very hot sun.
This is where scorch problems can start.

On 21/05/2011 08:39, Drobium wrote:
dimsey;922226 Wrote:
Is it better to water garden plants in the late evening or early
morning?

Yes!, to both! :-D

However, there is nothing stopping you from watering at any time of day,
so long as the water doesn't sit on the foliage and flowers in very very
hot sun.
This is where scorch problems can start.





What causes the scorch? Is it the water droplets acting as miniature
lenses focussing the sunlight onto the leaves burning / overheating them
or is it related to the water evaporating in the hot sun?

--
David in Normandy.
To e-mail you must include the password FROG on the
subject line, or it will be automatically deleted
by a filter and not reach my inbox.

On Sat, 21 May 2011 11:25:21 +0200, David in Normandy
wrote:

On 21/05/2011 08:39, Drobium wrote:
dimsey;922226 Wrote:
Is it better to water garden plants in the late evening or early
morning?

Yes!, to both! :-D

However, there is nothing stopping you from watering at any time of day,
so long as the water doesn't sit on the foliage and flowers in very very
hot sun.
This is where scorch problems can start.





What causes the scorch? Is it the water droplets acting as miniature
lenses focussing the sunlight onto the leaves burning / overheating them
or is it related to the water evaporating in the hot sun?

I've read different articles saying that both are the cause. Hairy
leaved plants like geraniums and poppies are most at risk from the
trapped droplet lens effect but in other cases, it's been suggested
that as the water evaporates from the surface of the leaf, it sucks
out water from inside the leaf as well.

All that said, I prefer to water at soil level if I can - drip systems
in containers and soaker hoses around the beds and borders make it
easy and can be left running unattended for as long as it takes. Even
better with a timer. I only water by hand now if I'm also feeding the
plants.

On May 21, 10:37*am, Sacha wrote:
On 2011-05-21 05:39:38 +0100, dimsey said:



Is it better to water garden plants in the late evening or early
morning?

In hot weather, both or either. *But in hot weather the water won't
evaporate quickly if plants are watered in the evening. *In cold
weather, we do any watering that's needed in the morning so the plants
can drain and dry out a bit before the night cold sets in. *We don't
want them sitting around in cold, wet compost all night.
--
Sachawww.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon

In my younger days I was market gardening outside Hastings, in realy
dry weather we would be using the irrigation spray lines 24 hours a
day, and I cant say we ever had scorch on anything, our main crop was
lettuce but we also grew a roange of other veg.
You are more likley to fet scorch from leaves that have got to dry so
that when watered the plants can't re-hydrate properly.
With hardy plants and ourside growing crops I would choose to water in
the evening as the plants have around 12 hours to take up the water.
In this dry weather,if you can, when watering just apply a good amount
of water at the base of the plants, so that it can soak down to the
roots and beyond, you want the roots to go down after ater and not
come close to the surface where they will dry out faster.

"David in Normandy" wrote in message
. fr...
On 21/05/2011 08:39, Drobium wrote:
dimsey;922226 Wrote:
Is it better to water garden plants in the late evening or early
morning?

Yes!, to both! :-D

However, there is nothing stopping you from watering at any time of day,
so long as the water doesn't sit on the foliage and flowers in very very
hot sun.
This is where scorch problems can start.





What causes the scorch? Is it the water droplets acting as miniature
lenses focussing the sunlight onto the leaves burning / overheating them
or is it related to the water evaporating in the hot sun?


That is the folklore answer, but it doesn't seem to hold water, if you'll
pardon the pun. AIUI a drop of water on a leaf is not sufficiently spherical
to have the optical quality necessary to cause scorching. If it did, somone
would be able to post pics of the scorching.

Steve

"dimsey" wrote

Is it better to water garden plants in the late evening or early
morning?

The best time is in the late evening so the water has time to soak into the
ground before the sun rises and dries it out again. The next best time is
first thing in the morning as the sun has not yet reached it's full power.

--
Regards
Bob Hobden
W.of London. UK

On Sat, 21 May 2011 04:39:38 +0000, dimsey
wrote:


Is it better to water garden plants in the late evening or early
morning?

I remember several years ago an argument on GQT between Pippa
Greenwood and Bob Flowerdew, on that very subject. One said one way
was right, the other said the other. I can't remember which!


Pam in Bristol

On May 21, 5:39*am, dimsey wrote:
Is it better to water garden plants in the late evening or early
morning?

--
dimsey

Evening. Less is lost by evaporation through the night.

On May 21, 2:09*pm, "shazzbat"
wrote:
"David in Normandy" wrote in . orange.fr...





On 21/05/2011 08:39, Drobium wrote:
dimsey;922226 Wrote:
Is it better to water garden plants in the late evening or early
morning?

Yes!, to both! :-D

However, there is nothing stopping you from watering at any time of day,
so long as the water doesn't sit on the foliage and flowers in very very
hot sun.
This is where scorch problems can start.

What causes the scorch? Is it the water droplets acting as miniature
lenses focussing the sunlight onto the leaves burning / overheating them
or is it related to the water evaporating in the hot sun?

That is the folklore answer, but it doesn't seem to hold water, if you'll
pardon the pun. AIUI a drop of water on a leaf is not sufficiently spherical
to have the optical quality necessary to cause scorching. If it did, somone
would be able to post pics of the scorching.

Steve- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

I have been told that the rings you sometimes see on leaves are
actually caused by fungus promoted by water droplets.

On Sat, 21 May 2011 04:39:38 +0000, dimsey
wrote:


Is it better to water garden plants in the late evening or early
morning?

I've read advice (by impatiens sellers) that water collecting on
impatiens leaves can result in a fungal infection to which the only
response is to dig up and destroy the affected plant. They advise
watering impatiens by poking the watering can spout right through to
ground level.

On May 21, 7:59*pm, Jake Nospam@invalid wrote:
On Sat, 21 May 2011 04:39:38 +0000, dimsey

wrote:

Is it better to water garden plants in the late evening or early
morning?

I've read advice (by impatiens sellers) that water collecting on
impatiens leaves can result in a fungal infection to which the only
response is to dig up and destroy the affected plant. They advise
watering impatiens by poking the watering can spout right through to
ground level.

I think what you are thinking about is Impatiens Downey Mildew, see
http://apps.rhs.org.uk/advicesearch/...e.aspx?pid=205
Having the Impatiens wet would spead up the onset of the mildew

I think its a question of what your actually watering ? I agree with Sacha in that, I never water in the winter in the evening, always in the morning, so that as Sacha says, the foliage can dry out before dark but of course as nuserymen, we are watering plants in pots ! In open ground, you probably wont be watering in winter anyway ? so, in summer, I agree, evening seems to do a better job !
If using a liquid feed, it goes without saying that you never feed with the sun on the leaves, so again evening gives much safer and better results, especially if like me you use 'miracle grow' which will folia feed as well !
Then theres the question of how often, someplants like Aeonium, Agaves, Sempervium and like minded succulents like to really dry out before being watered, especially in pots ! If you keep this type of plant continuosly damp, they wont root or grow very well. Given our experiences of the recent winters, its my opinion that with alot of 'exotics', the drier they are in winter, the more cold they seem able to withstand.
Lannerman

On 21/05/2011 21:28, Dave Hill wrote:
On May 21, 7:59 pm, JakeNospam@invalid wrote:
On Sat, 21 May 2011 04:39:38 +0000, dimsey

wrote:

Is it better to water garden plants in the late evening or early
morning?

I've read advice (by impatiens sellers) that water collecting on
impatiens leaves can result in a fungal infection to which the only
response is to dig up and destroy the affected plant. They advise
watering impatiens by poking the watering can spout right through to
ground level.

I think what you are thinking about is Impatiens Downey Mildew, see
http://apps.rhs.org.uk/advicesearch/...e.aspx?pid=205
Having the Impatiens wet would spead up the onset of the mildew

From the penultimate paragraph of that link:
"The disease is spread by spores produced on the underside of infected
leaves. These spores are splashed by rain, and are also carried for long
distances on the wind...."

That's novel. Raining upwards now, is it?

On a more serious point, if this disease is widespread and really does
get around by "top" watering (including rain - if we ever see it
again!), then why bother with impatiens of the varieties affected?
Unless you are a grower, that is - you grow the plants under glass, and
use a drip or soaker hose to water them, and the plants never get wet
leaves and remain nice and healthy. Sell them to Joe Public, who puts
them outside where even if they are bottom watered, they will eventually
get rained on and the pathogen will soon spread and kill the plants,
which will mean more plants can get sold by the supplier to replace
those affected...

A bit cynical, maybe, but perhaps the best thing to do here is not grow
any affected impatiens for a couple of years - commercially or by
amateurs. Unless there is a secondary host, this should stop the
pathogen in its tracks.

--

Jeff

"Jake" Nospam@invalid wrote in message
...
On Sat, 21 May 2011 11:25:21 +0200, David in Normandy
wrote:

On 21/05/2011 08:39, Drobium wrote:
dimsey;922226 Wrote:
Is it better to water garden plants in the late evening or early
morning?

Yes!, to both! :-D

However, there is nothing stopping you from watering at any time of day,
so long as the water doesn't sit on the foliage and flowers in very very
hot sun.
This is where scorch problems can start.





What causes the scorch? Is it the water droplets acting as miniature
lenses focussing the sunlight onto the leaves burning / overheating them
or is it related to the water evaporating in the hot sun?

I've read different articles saying that both are the cause. Hairy
leaved plants like geraniums and poppies are most at risk from the
trapped droplet lens effect but in other cases, it's been suggested
that as the water evaporates from the surface of the leaf, it sucks
out water from inside the leaf as well.

All that said, I prefer to water at soil level if I can - drip systems
in containers and soaker hoses around the beds and borders make it
easy and can be left running unattended for as long as it takes. Even
better with a timer. I only water by hand now if I'm also feeding the
plants.



An old chapyears ago, said that he enjoyed six or seven cups of tea a day -
but not all in one go!

He applied his preferences to his watering regime.

Bill