'Best' time to water your plants to avoid making 'worst mistake' during hot weather

Gardening is a year-round joy yet the summer season demands particular attention, especially when it comes to watering your plants. Ensuring your plants are well-watered is crucial for their survival and flourishing with plant specialists at Phostrogen highlighting that a whopping 80% of a plant's makeup is water, absorbed solely through its roots, making efficient watering vital.

In the scorching summer heat your greenery and veggies will be parched and, depending on where they're situated, they might require a drink twice daily. A common blunder among gardeners during these warmer months is mistiming their watering schedule.

QVC's gardening guru Mark Lane has pointed out that one of the "worst mistakes" you can make in the summertime is watering "at the wrong time", reports the Express. So, what's the optimal moment for this essential gardening task?

READ MORE: I spent £17.50 at a car boot sale and walked away with one item worth £90

READ MORE: Once overgrown and vandalised this garden is now one of UK's finest

The botanic experts at Phostrogen advise: "In spring and autumn water early in the morning but in the summer it can be best to wait until the evening as watering during full sun can burn the plants." Evening watering reduces the risk of evaporation, ensuring that plants get the full benefit of the water provided. Yet Mark says that "the best time" for watering your plants "is early in the morning when the outdoor temperature is cooler, between 5am and 9am".

Mark advises watering plants in the early morning explaining that it will "result in less water lost to evaporation" as temperatures rise throughout the day. The timing of watering is crucial but so is the amount of water used.

Despite plants' increased thirst in hot weather using less water is more beneficial during peak heat. Henry Bartlam, the founder of Dig, recommends against giving "plants a daily light sprinkling of water".

He suggests that it's "better to give them a good soak every couple of days (especially in warmer weather) than a quick splash every day". While there's no exact scienc, Henry notes that if the soil remains moist and doesn't dry out too fast "you've probably done a good job".

However he cautions gardeners: "Be careful not to overwater and saturate the soil though. Not only could this eventually damage the plants but also wastes valuable water."