• Do you need help identifying a 🌶?
    Is your plant suffering from an unknown issue? 🤧
    Then ask in Identification and Diagnosis.

water Is it ok to water in the middle of a really hot day?

chicken_phat

chicken_phat

Its about 32 Celsius today and my plant's leaves are wilting/drooping. I've moved them into the shade for now. I heard that it's a bad idea to water during the day. Is that true?
 
I have heard not to do it. Could burn the leaves.
 
I do it in case of emergency, like if my leaves are dead and wilted almost to a crisp and I know any longer in the heat  will put the plant at risk.
 
They usually bounce right back to normal.
 
Yea I was only asking because I got worried with how they looked today, so it wouldn't be a regular thing.

I'll be sure to keep it off the leaves if I end up watering them.
 
Been doing it that way for years. Wasn't with supers tho, just the regulars like kung pao, cayenne, jalapenos and other various chillies.
32 Celsius = 89.6 Fahrenheit. I do it.. Not all the time but when i need too. Go for it
 
32C is....not that hot. Last week we had a couple of days of 40C+ and the peppers were really drooping badly in the mid afternoon. On really hot days I try to only water in the evening or early morning. It seems to me that wet soil in the blasting heat of the day tends to cook the plants. A dry layer near the soil surface acts as an insulator, keeping the lower regions cooler. Works for in-ground growing, I am no expert when it comes to containers.
 
PepperWhisperer said:
32C is....not that hot. Last week we had a couple of days of 40C+ and the peppers were really drooping badly in the mid afternoon. On really hot days I try to only water in the evening or early morning. It seems to me that wet soil in the blasting heat of the day tends to cook the plants. A dry layer near the soil surface acts as an insulator, keeping the lower regions cooler. Works for in-ground growing, I am no expert when it comes to containers.
Click to expand...
I'm not an expert either but actually it sounds like a better idea to do it in the morning. That way the container would make it more humid around the plant. They love it when it's humid and hot!
 
PepperWhisperer said:
32C is....not that hot. Last week we had a couple of days of 40C+ and the peppers were really drooping badly in the mid afternoon. On really hot days I try to only water in the evening or early morning. It seems to me that wet soil in the blasting heat of the day tends to cook the plants. A dry layer near the soil surface acts as an insulator, keeping the lower regions cooler. Works for in-ground growing, I am no expert when it comes to containers.
Click to expand...
32 C is pretty hot here. It doesn't really get hotter than this during summer.
 
chicken_phat said:
Its about 32 Celsius today and my plant's leaves are wilting/drooping. I've moved them into the shade for now. I heard that it's a bad idea to water during the day. Is that true?
Click to expand...
    you said you moved them? maybe can you move them to a spot that they get a little less sun?   maybe water the plants in the morning hard since you know they are drying up.     but yes you can water during the day. make sure  your water is cold and just water the soil. no need to get the plant wet"dont really know how much damage that really does" but anyways.     i think trying to get appropriate water to the plants at proper times would be your best bet. over watering uncovered in the middle of the heat.
 
 
i am a idiot and dont believe a word i just said ;)
 
georgej said:
Just don't get leaves wet or it acts like a magnifying glass and can fry them.
Click to expand...
 
This is why it is best to water in the evening when the sun goes down.
 
Keep in mind, during really hot days, your plants will look a little wilty and droopy naturally.  They will pep back up when the sun goes down.
 
What happens if there is a mid-day soaker?  Well... there is not really much you can do about that.  Plus, rain is usually associated with cloud cover, so they are much less likely to get as much intense direct sun.
 
You can water them in the heat of the day with no problem. For more rigid, mature plants, you can even spray (or mist) the leaves down to cool them off a bit. I have a mister set up on my plants that I let run for a couple of hours sometimes. They seem to love it! It would probably kill tender seedlings, though. I think the main point of the old advise of not watering during the heat of the day is to get the maximum usage and effectiveness out of the water. Water in the evenings near dusk, and the plants will get to use all of that water. Do it in the morning, and you're going to lose a lot to evaporation during midday before the plants can use it.
 
Enjoy!
 
^^ Good point Phil. And it would make sense if that's where the practice started. To a farmer, water is a commodity, so watering at dusk would minimize evaporation the most.
 
Today i watered at mid-day, the first time i've done that in a long time. Otherwise it's morning or dusk for me.
 
Am I supposed to water everyday? I haven't had to water my garden in almost a month because it was raining so often, but it's starting to heat up.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top