The garden becomes the best place for anyone to relax and rest when the weather turns warm but as nice as the hot weather might seem, extremely hot temperatures are capable of wreaking havoc on your precious plants.
You don’t have any other thing to do than water your plants when the weather becomes unbearable for them but how do you know the best time to water plants in hot weather. Watering in the evening gives lots of time for water to be able to enter deeply into the soil so plants can take it up.
However, there is also a worry that allowing leaves to stay damp all through the night might lead to the development of diseases. On the other hand, watering leaves in the morning tell you that the plants might dry out quicker than you expect but it also creates an opportunity for water to go into the soil deeply so plants can be able to access it before the day becomes hotter.
Living things requires water so that they can perform necessary reactions that would offer them the energy required for their growth.
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Best Time To Water Plants In Hot Weather
In order to move nutrients from the soil to cells that are still growing, plants would need water to do that and water is drawn up as a replacement for water that has been lost through the stomata.
Stomata are needed for the exchange of gases that occurs during photosynthesis and during extremely sunny days, carbon dioxide is used in making sugars through photosynthesis. Losing water is also very important during hot days as they also help in cooling off your plants.
The stomata of plants would eventually shut down if plants have the little amount or access to water and at this point, photosynthesis stops. Desert plants tend to survive this by breathing during the night time and storing up carbon dioxide which would be used during the day for photosynthesis but in our gardens, not all plants are able to do that.
Plants would start wilting if the shortage of water becomes more severe but if the wilting is fresh and water is applied then the plants can recover but further drying would cause the plants to die.
Some plants tend to survive this drought by burying themselves deep down in the ground and this is common in plants like snowdrops, tulips, daffodils and bluebells. Other plants tend to shed their leaves or turn to seeds so they can be able to survive.
Avoiding Full Sun
The general agreement or knowledge is that watering plants under the full sun isn’t a good thing to do and about ten years ago, people widely accepted that having wet leaves during sunny days tends to cause scorching in plants.
When the weather is breezy and hot, it is wise for you to water your plants in the evening because it offers the plants more time to dry out before the plants take up water by midnight. If you must water your plants in the morning then ensure that it is done very early in the morning.
Watering the soil is a better option than watering the plant itself but be careful so you would not force the surface of the soil to form a hardpan. Mulch can be used in protecting the soil and also helping it to retain moisture. One thing you should also be wary of is slugs.
Prevent Overwatering
Its okay to have an excess of certain things and even though the surface of the soil might feel dry, deep down it might be wet. Most plants tend to have deeper roots and this helps them in pulling up water even though it is difficult for you to see.
If your plant isn’t wilting then it has good access to water and herbaceous plants tend to wilt under the sun but rejuvenate when the temperature drops later in the day. Container plants need to be well watered as well so its soil should be water in the morning and in the evening.
If your lawn is starting to look dry, you don’t need to worry too much about it because when grasses start fading, they are likely to spring back up when watered properly. The message is there for you to see. It is okay to enjoy your garden in the heat but also remember that plants are quite similar to humans. What this means is plants also need to enjoy a drink and shade too.
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