Bhg
  • Shop
  • News
  • Food
  • DIY
  • Garden
  • Renovating
  • Decorating
  • Health
  • TV
  • Hard to Find
Bhg
  • Shop
  • News
  • Food
  • DIY
  • Garden
  • Renovating
  • Decorating
  • Health
  • TV
  • Hard to Find
Subscribe
  1. Home
  2. Garden

The best time of day to water vegetables

Plus, how often to water your vegetables for a healthy harvest. - by Better Homes and Gardens
  • 22 Sep 2021

Growing your own vegetables is a rewarding process – but caring for them can be a difficult one! One thing that you may not have considered (but that can actually have a big impact) is when you're watering your veggie garden.

WATCH: How to grow your own vegetables in a bag or box

The truth? It's best to water in the morning. If you water in the middle of the day, much more of the water you apply evaporates, so it's wasteful. If you water in the evening, the plant's foliage may stay wet throughout the night and that creates an ideal environment for disease. So morning is best.

vegetable-garden
Image: Katherine Jamison / aremediasyndication.com.au

Most of your fruits and vegetables will thrive on 2.5 centimetres of water per week, although some crops, like melons, will use more water than that. There are two ways to deeply water crops without getting the foliage wet: drip irrigation systems and soaker hoses. These systems take water straight to the roots, lessening the likelihood of disease on damp foliage.

Container vegetables have shallower root systems, so they'll need to be watered more frequently than vegetables planted in the ground—up container plants to 2-3 waterings a day, especially in dry, hot conditions. If the potting mix your vegetables are housed in is dry, take that as a sign that your vegetables need more moisture.

It's best to water deeply and infrequently rather than shallowly every day, so use a sprinkler rather than a watering wand. Set a rain gauge out to measure how much water your sprinkler puts on the garden. If possible, water deeply with a sprinkler just once a week. Sometimes during the worst of summer's heat, you may end up watering twice a week. Mulch can help retain soil moisture.

This article originally appeared on Better Homes and Gardens US.

You might also like

Mum's surprising hack for removing chemicals from fruit and veggies

7 fast-growing vegetables

5 ingredients that take baked vegetables to the next level

  • Garden
  • Backyard Ideas

Treat yourself to a subscription-Save up to 25%

Plus, your chance to win

Subscribe Now
Treat yourself to a subscription

Treat yourself to a subscription-Save up to 25%

Plus, your chance to win

Subscribe Now
Treat yourself to a subscription

Recommended to you

YOU’LL NEED A WEDGE TO HANG THAT DOOR
Watch 6:32

YOU’LL NEED A WEDGE TO HANG THAT DOOR

{headline}

{headline}

How to create a small water-wise vegetable patch

How to create a small water-wise vegetable patch

How to plan a vegetable garden

How to plan a vegetable garden

How to grow a vegie garden in a rental property

How to grow a vegie garden in a rental property

How to grow mushrooms

How to grow mushrooms

{headline}

{headline}

How to plant a garden in a crate

How to plant a garden in a crate

How to build a raised vegie garden with recycled timber pallets

How to build a raised vegie garden with recycled timber pallets

What to plant in your garden this August

What to plant in your garden this August

{headline}

{headline}

How to make a water garden in a bowl

How to make a water garden in a bowl

Melissa revisits Lambley gardens in autumn

Melissa revisits Lambley gardens in autumn

Graham visits Wild Meadows garden

Graham visits Wild Meadows garden

Graham visits Breenhold Gardens

Graham visits Breenhold Gardens

How to grow peonies

How to grow peonies

Charlie visits landscape designer Peter Shaw’s garden

Charlie visits landscape designer Peter Shaw’s garden

How to grow your own fruit

How to grow your own fruit

Bhg
  • About Us
  • Subscribe Today
  • Contact Us
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
Bhg Magazine Subscribe
  • About Us
  • Subscribe Today
  • Contact Us
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy Policy

Brands

  • All Recipes
  • BHG Shop
  • Girlfriend
  • Home Beautiful
  • New Idea
  • New Idea Food
  • Practical Parenting

Our Network

  • marie claire
  • Beauty Crew
  • Who
  • Women's Weekly Food
  • Bounty Parents
  • That’s Life
  • Perth Now
  • The West Australian
  • 7Plus
  • 7mate
  • 7NEWS
  • 7Sport
  • Sunrise
  • Starts at 60
  • Hard to Find
© 2022 Are Media PTY LTD
All products are independently selected, tested or recommended by our team of experts.If you buy something, we may earn an affiliate commission.
Get more from Better Homes and Gardens

Magazine Subscription Offer

Treat yourself to a subscription-Save up to 25%

Shop This Offer
Treat yourself to a subscription