For healthy, thriving blooms during the warmer weather, it’s important to keep your plants well watered.
But when the sun is bearing down, opting for the right time of day is key to make sure your plants are getting all the much- needed benefits of a long drink.
During warmer weather, gardeners need to make sure their plants are properly watered Credit: Alamy
Monty Don has revealed the best time of day to water your plants in summer Credit: BBC
presenter has revealed the best time of day for watering, and it turns out – the earlier the better.
The horticulturist revealed that hotter temperatures are “lovely but quite tough on plants”.
He added: “Particularly if they’re in a container so they do need watering much more often than normal.”
Don’s advice to is to opt for the early hours of the morning to water plants, ensuring their flowerbeds get the maximum benefits before the blazing heat of the sun arrives.
“If you can, the best time to water your container is early morning before the sun warms up.”
For those unable to get their watering done early, Don encourages gardeners to wait until the cooler evenings rather than trying to hydrate plants in the hot midday sun.
When it comes to watering, Don also encourages a “soak, don’t sprinkle” approach, ensuring your plants are fully saturated.
He continued: “Water directly to the roots of the soil or the compost and go on until the water is running out of the bottom of the container and then the roots can get down deep and find that moisture.”
Brand manager at Prestige Flowers, Elise Harlock, echoed the advice, encouraging to time their watering to the morning to ensure your plants stay hydrated in the summer sun.
She said: “Watering during the hottest part of the day is one of the biggest mistakes gardeners make.
“Not only does it lead to wasted water, but it can also stress your plants and even cause damage.
“The best time to water is early in the morning, ideally before 10am.
“This allows moisture to penetrate the soil and reach the roots before the sun gets too strong.”
According to the plant pro, watering your plants during the peak sun of the day can lead to rapid evaporation, leaving your precious blooms without their much-needed moisture.
Watering in the sweltering heat means the majority of the liquid will evaporate quickly from the surface of the plant and not have time to be absorbed down to the root.
This can lead to wilting, drier soil and even impact the growth of the plants.
So even if you think you’re giving your plants a healthy midday drink, it’s likely that most of the water will disappear into the air before it can nourish the vegetation.
It may even be beneficial to skip your daily watering, and instead focus on intense hydration every few days.
The expert added: “The key is deep, infrequent watering.
“Rather than giving plants a quick sprinkle every day, soak the soil thoroughly a few times a week.
“This encourages deeper root growth, making plants more resilient to heat and drought.
She also encourages gardeners to ensure they’re watering the roots, rather than leaves as this “ensures water gets where it’s needed and reduces the risk of disease”.
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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