What is the best time of day to water plants?
Watering plants is an activity on which, literally, the life of your plants depends. Do you know what time of day is best to water plants?
Watering plants is an activity on which, literally, the life of your plants depends. Understanding the watering cycles and needs of the plants you own is a fundamental aspect to guarantee their optimal development. However, if you follow these watering guidelines meticulously and still find that your plants do not grow, wilt, or do not improve, the problem might be the timing of your watering because believe it or not, this also influences it.
¿Sabes a qué hora del día es mejor regar las plantas?
Start the day by watering your plants
The best time to water plants is always at dawn or in the early hours of the morning. Firstly, because with the sunrise, the plant's metabolic activity begins, making it the perfect time to provide hydration, vitamins, and nutrients. On top of that, you will save water because the sun will not evaporate the water as quickly, allowing your plants to utilise all they need.
Some people claim that watering at the end of the day is also good for plants, but the truth is it is not advisable because although water evaporation is minimal, by late afternoon, plants are preparing to lower their metabolic activity and rest, as there is no sun at night to photosynthesise.
Por otra parte, en las noches suele descender la temperatura, por lo que la tierra permanecerá demasiado tiempo húmeda, lo que podría podrir las raíces y favorecer la aparición de hongos. Por esta razón si tienes suculentas NUNCA debes regarlas en la noche, porque las raíces de planta tienen más posibilidades de sufrir de pudrición.
Avoid watering at midday. At that time, the sun is highest and will evaporate the water so quickly that your plant will not have time to absorb it. Furthermore, the cold temperature of the water contrasts with the plant’s high temperature and can cause alterations. Additionally, water droplets can act as magnifying glasses, intensifying sunlight and causing burns on the leaves.
Watering Tips
- The material of the pot can affect watering frequency. Plastic pots evaporate faster than clay ones, requiring a little more attention.
- If you use trays to catch excess watering, remember to empty them a while after watering or add pebbles or small stones. This will prevent standing water from saturating the roots for too long, causing them to die.
- Always check with a wooden stick that it reaches the bottom of the pot before watering. Remember that the surface part of the substrate always dries first.
- If the substrate is too dry, it is better to water gradually, giving a few minutes between each watering, to hydrate the entire root ball or you can immerse it in a bucket of water until it is soaked.
- Just because it's summer doesn't mean you should water more. Excessive watering only causes waterlogging, rot, and fungus. It's better to water more frequently.
- There is nothing like rainwater for watering, but if you don't have any, you can use tap water. Just let it sit for a couple of days to allow the added chlorine to evaporate.
- Always water until you see water begin to exit through the drainage holes.
When to water plants?
The best time to water plants is at dawn or in the early morning hours, as that is when they begin their metabolic activity and can absorb water and nutrients more efficiently. Additionally, water evaporation from heat is minimised, maximising hydration. Avoid watering during the middle of the day, as high temperatures accelerate evaporation and water droplets can cause burns on the leaves. Watering at night is also not ideal, since prolonged moisture encourages the appearance of fungi and diseases.