When to water your garden in summer

The rule for watering your garden in summer

It is difficult to establish a universal rule when it comes to watering your garden plants in summer. Indeed, as we said in the introduction, it depends on many factors. Some of these factors are weather-related but of course, watering the garden also depends on the nature of your different plants.
Even in a vegetable garden, for example, not every root, not every crop needs to be watered in the same way. You have to adapt… but there's one main principle to water your garden in the best way.

An effective rule on watering plants in summer

But despite these varying elements depending on what lives in your garden, there is one rule for watering in summer. It is best to water in the evening during this period because when there is sunshine and the sun is out, it is important to limit the evaporation of water from the soil and plants as much as possible.
If you water during the day, or worse, in the morning, there will be hours of so-called evaporation losses. This would make watering the plants in the garden less efficient and you risk seeing crops die one after the other as they will not have time to absorb enough water before it evaporates.
There is only one condition that can make the morning the ideal time to water the garden in summer: it is if the night has been cool and the soil is a little damp. Summer garden watering in the morning should therefore be reserved for these periods, especially in regions affected by night frosts, particularly as autumn approaches (such as mountainous regions).

To sum up, when is the best time to water the garden in summer?

Let's recap the rule and exceptions for watering the garden.
If the nights are hot in summer and the days even hotter, (or there is a heatwave) there is no doubt that it is better to water the garden in the evening so that the water is better absorbed by the plants. If the nights are cool, it is best to water in the morning, especially if your garden is located in an area where night frosts are common.
Of course, if it is going to rain during the day, there is no point in watering in the morning, and if it is likely to rain at night, there is no point in watering in the evening. Too much water is also bad for plants.

Understanding the weather to water the garden at the right time in summer

Now you know the rule for when it is best to water your garden plants in summer. You also know its exceptions.
But how do you know what the precise temperature is at night, what the humidity level is, and the weather forecast? How likely is it that rain will provide your plants, lawn, and roots with all the water they need to live?
Imagine that you water your garden heavily in the evening because it has been very hot, but a few hours later it rains heavily and it drowns your crops?
So, of course, you know that the weather is a gardener's best friend. But what kind of weather are we talking about? TV weather or accurate weather?

Better weather forecasts to water your garden better in summer

Watering the garden at the best time in summer requires excellent visibility of the weather forecast. Getting the weather forecast from the Internet or on television is not always enough: the sensors are located at certain points more or less far from your home and therefore from your garden.
If the weather radar indicates the arrival of rain with precision, it is still necessary to be able to anticipate this information in real-time to anticipate the arrival of this water in your garden.
There's nothing like having an accurate weather forecast to help you water your garden in summer and enjoy the sunshine without rain! And for this, you can use various weather measuring devices: thermometer, anemometer, rain gauge, barometer…
But you can also choose to keep it simple by opting for a weather station. It is a complete device that provides an overview of the current weather and weather forecast: temperatures, humidity, sunshine, rain, etc.
With some models, you can reliably see all the weather forecasts at a single glance. You will then know whether it is better to water the garden in the morning or the evening, depending on the weather conditions forecast for the night and the day.
As always, and especially when it comes to watering your garden plants, being well informed about how much water should fall, whether the soil will be wet overnight, and what the weather will be like the next day is very helpful in acting accordingly.

Here are our tips on watering your garden in summer. Also, find out the water requirements of each plant so that you don't make any mistakes! Every crop needs water, but some more than others. Don't let summer and heatwave get the best of your garden, use the weather to provide the right amount of water for your plants.