Should You Water Your Plants in The Evening

Many gardeners have extremely busy schedules and spend almost the entire day out of the house.
They do not have enough time to water their plants before heading out, so they do it once they return home.
When it comes to plant watering, there are many myths and one of them is that watering in the evening is bad.
So, how damaging for the houseplants is it really, or can you keep doing it without harming them?

Importance of Water for the Houseplants

Before we tackle the problem of evening watering, let’s discuss the importance of watering in general.

Water is important and vital to plants for several reasons.

Firstly, plants use the process called photosynthesis to make food, and water plays a significant role in that process. When the plant gets enough water, it can create a greater amount of food faster, because water speeds up the process of photosynthesis.

Furthermore, plants need many nutrients to stay healthy (especially houseplants, since indoor gardeners are imitating natural conditions in their homes).

You are probably already familiar with different fertilizers, and once you find the one that works for your plant the best, you should make sure your plant gets enough water with it.

All of the nutrients in the fertilizer can’t be delivered to the plant without water.

Also, the process of germination, or growing the plant from the seed, isn’t possible in the absence of water. So if you want to grow a healthy plant, make sure that the seed develops in a moist environment.

Lastly, water is the habitat of many plants – some species grow much faster and healthier when grown in water than in soil.

To them, water is not only essential for the delivery of nutrients, or production of food, but it is also a ground on which they grow.

Watering in the Evening – Is It Bad?

As said, watering in the morning isn’t super practical for everyone.

Some people have quite hectic schedules – either they are just super busy, or they have a long commute to work.

Either way, when they get up, they are running around, trying to get ready on time. In these times, even drinking a sip of coffee is a luxury, and not many are thinking about their houseplants.

So, once they get home at night, they can finally relax a bit and give their plants the attention they need.

But, is this night watering good for the plants?

We already talked about the significant role of water in a plant’s life, but could this evening watering cause more damage than good?

Let’s see some pros and cons.

Advantages of Watering at Night

Less evaporation

During the day, water is lost – it evaporates because of the high temperatures.

So, watering in the middle of the day isn’t recommended, since water evaporates faster and not much is absorbed by the plants.

What happens during the night?

Well, because temperatures are a bit cooler in the evening, water isn’t evaporating so quickly.

Evaporation still occurs, but at a much slower rate, so the plant has enough time to absorb most of the water and loses just a bit of it.

This is great for the plants most especially in the summer days – thanks to a great amount of absorbed water, it should be healthy. Until overwatering occurs.

Note:

 Succulents and cacti deviate from the regular watering schedule. Due to their water-storing abilities, they don’t require morning and evening watering. Only water these plants when the soil is completely dry.

Now, let’s take a look at the drawbacks.

Drawbacks of Watering at Night

Frost

Because water evaporates slowly during the night, the soil and leaves could still be wet in the morning.

In the cooler morning temperatures, frost could develop on the surface of the soil and even roots.

Then this frost will be the cause of other problems – plant cells could be harmed by the frost, and you won’t recover the plant so easily.

Diseases

Some species are more susceptible to certain fungi or pests.

If you have a plant that was already treated for either, definitely avoid night watering.

Those wet leaves will easily attract them, and you will end up with a sick plant.

In contrast, if you have a healthy plant that never had fungi, pests, or other diseases, you could probably water it at night from time to time without damaging it.

Healthy plants can deal with different diseases on their own, so even if the problem occurs, it will get better quickly.

Tips for Night Watering

So, many gardeners are probably considering switching their routine and finding those extra few minutes each morning to water their houseplants.

But, not everyone has the luxury to just change their everyday habits, and if you have to stick to evening watering, here are some tips:

Water the plants that you know are healthy

As already explained, if you only water the plants that you know are healthy, you won’t have to worry about different diseases.

Your plant will easily deal with fungi or pests, and you can stick to your routine.

Water generously

Many gardeners only water the top layer of the soil, so the roots are left short of the nutrients they need.

When you are watering the plant in the evening, do it generously. Make sure that both the top and bottom layers are evenly moist.

During the day, when the top parts dry out, the roots will extend to reach the bottom layers.

Bottom watering

With bottom watering, you won’t have to worry about wet leaves and the development of diseases.

The top parts of the plant will always stay dry. At the same time, the roots will absorb the needed water through the soil slowly throughout the day.

When it comes to this watering technique, make sure that you are using big plates that can hold a generous amount of water. Don’t forget to use the pots with holes on the bottom, so that the roots can absorb the water.

Conclusion

Watering plants in the evening is generally not recommended as it can promote fungal diseases and damp conditions.

It’s best to water them in the morning when the temperature is cooler and allows plants to dry off during the day.