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Friday Favorite: Evening Watering

July 8th, 2011

I really love watering right before dusk. It’s quiet and peaceful, the perfect way to unwind after a long day. I usually water by hand because it’s good exercise and it helps me keep on top of how all the plants are doing. This time of year however, if it’s as dry as it’s been, I’ll set up a sprinkler in one zone every night. While the sprinkler is going I spend my time watering things that can’t be reached by the hose or by the sprinkler.

I also like to spend mornings in the garden, but generally I weed and do other garden chores in the morning. For some reason I really enjoy watering in the evening!

Do you have certain times of the day you like to do certain garden chores?

21 Comments to “Friday Favorite: Evening Watering”
  1. Lisa@ The Cutting Edge of Ordinary on July 8, 2011 at 6:01 am

    We are a water at dusk kinda family too. You’re right, it’s peaceful and relaxing. We also wait till dusk to tie up our tomatoes too. I love it when my hands smell like tomato plants.

    Reply to Lisa@ The Cutting Edge of Ordinary's comment

  2. Sue Nugent on July 8, 2011 at 6:39 am

    Isn’t it strange how something so meaningless to some can be so therapeutic to others.Walking around my yard gardens and taking care of their needs is my therapy,too. It does me more good than any other hing I do, during the course of a day. As much as I enjoy sitting on the porch swing in the early mornings,sharing my first cup of coffee with Pop, I am pulled toward something in the yard or garden that needs attention. I hope he hasn’t noticed.

    Reply to Sue Nugent's comment

  3. pam on July 8, 2011 at 6:44 am

    I am hoping for some rain today. While, I find watering therapeutic, I would really like mother nature to take over for a while!

    Reply to pam's comment

    • Susy on July 8, 2011 at 9:29 am

      We’re hoping for rain today too, it’s always much better to let it happen naturally!

      Reply to Susy's comment

    • Grace on July 8, 2011 at 2:48 pm

      Me too!

      Reply to Grace's comment

  4. Tiffany on July 8, 2011 at 7:46 am

    Interesting you bring this up today. I, too, love watering just before dusk. However, I’ve just decided to give it up, as I’ve found that night-marauding critters have been digging in the wet areas. Just yesterday, I found several transplants had been completely uprooted overnight. Anyone else noticed this?

    I love your blog. It’s one of very few that I look forward to daily. Cool to have learned that you, too, are a U.C. alum. Go Bearcats!

    Reply to Tiffany's comment

    • Susy on July 8, 2011 at 10:03 am

      HM, never have had trouble with this. It’s mostly likely skunks looking for the worms that come up during the watering. I have had trouble when using bone meal in the garden, I find raccoons seem to LOVE it and come looking for it destroying things in their path. Now I always bury it deeply.

      Reply to Susy's comment

      • Sincerely, Emily on July 11, 2011 at 10:53 pm

        love watering at night. Also have critters that dig in wet around. Armadillos!

        to Sincerely, Emily's comment

  5. Allison on July 8, 2011 at 8:18 am

    Depending on the weather, we water with a hose & spray nozzle in the mornings and/or evenings. Our water comes from a cistern so we have to be a tad conservative and sometimes, if we use a sprinkler, we forget about it ;)

    I love watering in the early morning right after I feed the horses – heaven. Or, at night when the firefly’s are out :) And for some reason, there is such a satisfaction walking around with the watering can watering all my potted plants.

    Reply to Allison's comment

  6. Rhonda on July 8, 2011 at 8:57 am

    I too like evening watering. It’s my “me” time. There’s just something so relaxing about it.

    Reply to Rhonda's comment

  7. Daedre Craig on July 8, 2011 at 9:21 am

    I generally water in the mornings because watering right before dark can increase disease problems (because the foliage is wet and humid all night and can’t dry quickly). We do the same thing in the greenhouses in winter. We avoid watering after about 3pm because the foliage will never dry before dark.

    Reply to Daedre Craig's comment

    • Susy on July 8, 2011 at 9:31 am

      I’ve always heard this but have always watered at night because I find around here that’s the way it happens in nature. We rarely have rain in the mornings in the summer, most often it late afternoon/early evening showers. I don’t find that it increases the odds for disease in my gardens, maybe because I only water when it’s absolutely necessary, usually things are allowed to deal with the dry weather. Watering only happens if I think the plants are too stressed to go a few more days w/out water.

      Reply to Susy's comment

      • Daedre Craig on July 8, 2011 at 1:01 pm

        Good point! The reminds me about something I heard once about not washing mushrooms because it makes them soggy or something. They get rained on in nature, so what’s the big deal!

        to Daedre Craig's comment

    • Cherise on July 10, 2011 at 9:11 am

      Sorry, it wouldn’t let me comment below your second entry.

      I used to water in the evenings but I’ve found this year that the moisture in the evenings has increased fungus. I’m battling blight on my potatoes and something on my squash that I’m not sure of yet.

      To the mushroom idea: You should store your mushrooms unwashed as they store longer if they are dry. But, it’s perfectly OK to wash them before eating or cooking them. Same goes for strawberries. Hope that helps.

      Reply to Cherise's comment

  8. Melissa on July 8, 2011 at 9:31 am

    I’m a morning waterer- gets me away from my computer for a few minutes (okay- an hour) which is good. I would prefer evenings– but the mosquitos would eat me alive!

    Reply to Melissa's comment

  9. Lynda on July 8, 2011 at 10:21 am

    I water in the early a.m. I let the chickens into the garden to snack on bugs while I water. I have my morning cup of coffee, enjoy the hens and plan my day. My garden dictates what my day will look like. It points the way to what’s for lunch and dinner. Will I can tomatoes or freeze squash? Should I start the transplants or mix up more compost tea? Is there time to make a loaf of bread and an angel food cake to showcase the beautiful raspberries?

    Reply to Lynda's comment

  10. MAYBELLINE on July 8, 2011 at 10:32 am

    Irrigate in the morning to avoid fungus AND to finish before the sun burns me up. Weeding is in the evenings. It’s kind of a peaceful and meditative way to end the day.

    Reply to MAYBELLINE's comment

  11. Stacy M on July 8, 2011 at 11:10 am

    Definitely the evening when it’s a bit cooler! I’m not much of a morning person and find it hard to get up before it gets hot

    Reply to Stacy M's comment

  12. Grace on July 8, 2011 at 2:47 pm

    I water in the evening, too, and by hand as you do, but if it gets any bigger I’m going to have to something else!

    Reply to Grace's comment

  13. KimH on July 8, 2011 at 5:49 pm

    If I absolutely positively MUST water.. I tend to do it either around dusk or the minute I see the plants are so distressed that to not water them immediately would cause them harm…
    I dont know why… but watering plants does NOT relax me, if anything, it makes me antsy…
    I would rather weed than water any day… Im odd, I know. ;) I feel the same about my house plants.. My house is filled with them and they’re quite healthy and beautiful.. Im not sure how though. ;) My honey tells people that I just ignore them & they all flourish.. and its true.. I do & they do. :D

    I dont weed at any certain time though.. whenever I have the energy to be out there with the weeds.

    Reply to KimH's comment

    • Susy on July 9, 2011 at 10:13 am

      Overwatering is the main reason people have issues with their houseplants! I don’t water mine very much either.

      Reply to Susy's comment

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This is a daily journal of my efforts to cultivate a more simple life, through local eating, gardening and so many other things. We used to live in a small suburban neighborhood Ohio but moved to 153 acres in Liberty, Maine in 2012.

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