While it’s a fact that plants need regular watering, the question is this: is there a best time of day to water indoor plants?.
Many beginner houseplant growers are often aware of the overwatering and underwatering risks. However, they fail to factor in the right timing for efficient watering.
The truth is that the time of the day has a big impact when it comes to watering your plants. This will dictate how well your plants can absorb the moisture and use it to withstand intense heat.
For this, we talked to several plantsmen and anthophiles to finally settle the debate. So if you’re a beginner gardener, you should read on for added information that could help your plants thrive more.
Best time of day to water indoor plants
The best time of day to water indoor plants is in the morning. It’s like giving breakfast to your plants, so they will be prepared for the day.
Moreover, the morning schedule is the general consensus, especially during the summer months. You’d want to water your plants before the heat of the day peaks. The cooler temperature in the morning won’t cause the water to evaporate fast, giving the roots the chance to absorb it well.
Aside from that, you should give extra attention to plants that are located in southern-facing locations. These plants receive more direct sunlight, thus more heat. It may need more water to keep it moisturized even after the heat of the day peaks.
Nevertheless, the timing often becomes less important as the summer season eases. Since there are no major temperature changes during the day, watering doesn’t have to be as religious as how you do it during summer.
While the schedule of watering becomes less stringent, one thing you have to watch out for is the amount and frequency of watering. During the winter months, you need to scale back on watering since many plants become dormant and may become prone to frost if watered too much.
Consistency is the key
Watering every morning is a good practice since it forms a habit of consistency among plant growers. By adding it to your morning to-do list, watering your plants won’t be forgotten as you go by your day.
Plants thrive with consistency, so watering and checking it at the same time every day will surely help them thrive even more.
Still, it’s not just a black and white concept of pouring water into the pot every day. You also have to check the soil and how moist it still is.
You have to be careful in leaving your potted plants’ soil moist at nighttime. It’s because soil that remains moist up until the next sunrise can become a harborage of pests.
Some of these moisture-loving insect pests are springtails, termites, and earwigs. You should keep an eye on these critters as their presence is a sign of watering problems on your plants.
Misting in the evening
While most potted plants thrive in morning watering, air plants prefer misting more often. Misting can be done both in the morning and evening as much as possible.
In the morning, the mist will give the air plant its much-needed moisture for the day. This is much so during the summer season when intense heat draws out a lot of moisture from the air.
Meanwhile, evening misting will provide air plants with just the right amount of humidity to prevent dryness. This is very helpful in hot months when the evening temperature remains high.
Overall, misting is a great way to avoid overwatering in plants. Even non-air plants still need misting, especially if it’s just starting to sprout new growth. The goal is to keep humidity at around 40% for tropical and subtropical native plants.
Final words
The best time of day to water indoor plants is usually in the morning. This way, your plants will absorb the moisture well since the temperature is lower and the water won’t evaporate fast.
Nevertheless, it’s also important to understand your plant’s needs as well as the current season. For a foolproof watering method, you can always use a soil moisture gauge.