To obtain vigorous and healthy plants, it is important to water them regularly, according to their needs and to avoid excess watering which could harm them. However, to take care of plants, it is not enough to know the water supply they need, but you also need to water them at the right time of day. In fact, this makes it possible to obtain vigorous and disease-resistant plants.
Water is a vital element for plants. It allows nutrients to be transported from the soil to plant cells. Successful watering of plants depends on the amount of water you provide to the plants, but also the time you choose to water them.
When to water garden plants?
The question that comes up most often when we talk about watering plants is whether to water the plants in the morning or in the evening. You should know that the ideal time to water plants depends on the season. Indeed, during periods of high heat, that is to say in summer, it is advisable to water the plants in the evening. This helps limit water loss through evaporation and keeps plants and soil hydrated. If you water your plants in the morning, during the hottest hours, the water may evaporate before being properly absorbed by the plants. Thus, neither the ground nor the plants could cool down. When it is hot, also remember to mulch the soil, to limit water evaporation during the day. By conserving soil moisture, you can space out waterings and thus save water. Good mulching also helps limit the growth of weeds which compete with plants and harm their healthy growth.
On the other hand, when temperatures are low and the nights are cooler, it is not recommended to water the plants in the evening. This would increase the freshness of the soil and could even harm the growth of less hardy plants, which cannot tolerate cold and frost. In addition to this, the water could freeze if the temperatures are very low. In this case, it is best to water the plants in the morning.
How to successfully water plants?
To water your plants well, especially when it is hot, it is advisable to water them abundantly, but less often. Indeed, when you water your plants daily, but superficially, the root system of your plants begins to develop superficially and not in depth. To avoid this, it is advisable to water the plants in two passes. This will allow you to moisten the soil first, in order to facilitate the penetration of water into the soil during the second watering.
When watering your plants, avoid strong jets of water, as they could compact the soil. That said, it is preferable to water from the neck, that is to say without using the head of the watering can. Also, try to water at the base of each plant, because this is where the water is directly used to nourish the plants. By watering the plants this way, you save water, and also prevent the appearance of slugs and weeds. This technique also allows you to water the plants, without wetting the foliage, in order to avoid cryptogamic diseases. Indeed, humidity encourages the appearance of fungi, particularly on rose bushes, potatoes and tomatoes.
You should also know that the amount of water a plant needs varies depending on the different phases it goes through. Indeed, the needs of a plant during the period of vegetative growth or flowering are different from its needs when it is in a period of vegetative rest. When a plant goes dormant, usually in winter, its water needs decrease because its growth slows. In this case, the frequency of watering the plants must be reduced.
That said, before deciding whether to water your garden plants in the morning or evening, it is important to know the nighttime and daytime temperatures, to allow your plants to stay hydrated, without fear. cold or frost.
