From hot summer afternoons to icy winter mornings, various factors can influence how and when we water our plants, including their age and overall conditions. So, is there a best time of day to water your plants, or is that just a gardening myth?

The Answer: Yes and no. The key takeaway is that, aside from a few drought-tolerant plants, the vast majority of garden and vegetable plot plants require water. In fact, any time you water is better than not watering at all.

However, there’s considerable truth in the widespread belief that morning is the best time to water your plants. Several factors contribute to this, including soil temperature, the angle of the sun, and how daylight stimulates activity from the plants’ roots to their fruits. All of these elements play a role in making morning watering the most beneficial for your plants.

Watering plants in the morning is undoubtedly the best time of day for your garden. This is primarily due to the sunlight’s impact on your plants, whether they’re indoors or outdoors, and regardless of the climate.

Most plants remain dormant overnight—just take a look at your courgettes for evidence. During high summer, when courgettes grow most rapidly, each fruit can increase by over an inch per day. If you observe them in the evening and then again in the morning, you’ll notice little to no change. However, checking in the morning and afternoon reveals significant growth, demonstrating that your garden is actively working throughout the day.

While dormant, plants don’t absorb water or photosynthesize. Watering in the morning allows the soil to saturate evenly. Moreover, as it warms under the morning sun, it avoids being baked.

Additionally, humidity at ground level tends to be higher in the morning, especially in spring, which means less evaporation and water waste.

Many plants are highly susceptible to sun scorch, a phenomenon where water sitting on foliage acts like a magnifying glass, intensifying the sun’s heat. This can lead to crisp, brown, or gray patches on the leaves of various garden plants and vegetables.

However, this is more of an exception than a rule; most plants won’t experience sun scorch from watering their foliage, and many actually benefit from it—particularly those with fluffy leaves. That said, it’s still not advisable to water the foliage, as a more common issue is fungal infection. Fungal spores thrive on wet, damaged leaves. When you water the leaves in the afternoon, the increased humidity combined with heat creates perfect conditions for fungal infections to spread.

Another downside to watering foliage is the potential for water waste. To minimize evaporation and ensure efficient watering, it’s best to water at the roots and avoid using spray settings on your hose.

Hedges, shrubs, and fruit trees are great examples of the principle that “any water is better than no water.” They aren’t particularly particular about when they receive water.

Once established, most fruit trees only need watering during severe droughts. However, when they’re young or in containers (like lemons and limes), they should be watered regularly, preferably in the morning, to maximize the effectiveness of the water.

Vegetables actively draw water and nutrients any time of day. However, watering them in the morning increases their chances of absorbing moisture and processing soil nutrients effectively.

Root vegetables, on the other hand, are best watered in the evening. Watering carrots, beetroot, and radishes at this time allows for slight drainage. By morning, the plants will need to search deeper for moisture, leading to faster, stronger growth and less fibrous roots.

Seedlings, along with any young plants in a greenhouse, indoors, or in a cold frame, should be watered exclusively in the morning. This is especially crucial for tender tropical plants like tomatoes and peppers, which are prone to damping off if the soil remains damp for extended periods.

Watering seedlings in the afternoon increases the risk of sun scorch, while watering in the evening heightens the likelihood of damping off or root rot. To ensure the health of your seedlings, always water them in the morning.

While many gardening questions have straightforward answers, watering requires careful consideration. Factors such as the types of plants you’re growing, their life stage, and their growing conditions significantly influence how and when to water.

If you’re ever in doubt, it’s best to stick with morning watering. The negative effects of watering at other times of the day can be more pronounced, while the benefits of morning watering outweigh any potential drawbacks. Like all gardening tasks, this will soon become a habit!