:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/GettyImages-2163182554-aa5a8eaffc5044c5867b2ec73b0c2d9a.jpg?w=1920&resize=1920,1267&ssl=1 "Never Water Your Garden at This Time of Day, Garden Pros Warn—It Wastes Water and Money")
Key Points
- Watering between 10 am and 4 pm wastes water; most of it evaporates before reaching roots.
- Morning watering from 5 to 9 am is best for deep soaking and avoids fungal risk.
- Good timing keeps plants healthy, cuts water bills, and prevents heat or fungus damage.
It’s important to keep your lawn and garden well-watered throughout the summer season, but it’s just as important to make sure you’re watering at the right time of day.
Watering at the wrong time of day isn’t just less effective for keeping plants healthy, but it can also waste water and money.
We talked to gardening and landscaping experts to learn the worst time of day for watering your garden—and when to do it instead.
Meet the Expert
- Don Chouinard is the Contractor Sales Manager at Irrigreen.
- Sara Rubens is a certified garden coach and founder of Seed to Sanctuary.
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The Worst Time of Day for Watering
It’s no surprise that the worst time for watering your lawn or garden is mid-day into the afternoon—typically, this is the hottest time of day.
Sara Rubens, certified garden coach and founder of Seed to Sanctuary, says the worst time of day to water is specifically between 10 am and 4 pm.
“At this time, the sun is at its strongest, and high temperatures cause much of the water to evaporate before it can soak into the soil and reach plant roots,” she says.
” This not only reduces the effectiveness of watering but also leads to significant water waste and higher utility bills if you’re using a sprinkler system.”
Rubens also says water droplets on leaves can actually end up scorching the plants, as they act like a magnifying glass under the sunlight.
“This is especially true in summer when the heat is intense,” agrees Don Chouinard, Contractor Sales Manager at Irrigreen.
The Best Time of Day for Watering
So when should you water your garden or lawn?
Rubens and Chouinard have two suggestions: in the early morning or in the evening.
“A better time to water is early in the morning, between 5 a.m. and 9 a.m., when temperatures are cooler and winds are typically calmer,” Rubens says. “This allows the water to soak in deeply and helps plants stay hydrated throughout the day.
Chouinard says that, if you “miss the early morning window,” you can water in the evening instead.
However, Rubens prefers morning watering for a key reason.
“It can increase the risk of fungal diseases since moisture may linger on leaves overnight,” she says.
Other Tips for Watering Your Garden
If you want to get the most out of your watering, follow these other tips and suggestions: