Do you know that grasses have roughly 70-80% of water? This fact shows how essential watering your plants is to its system. While you can water them anytime you want, doing it at the correct time is vital for healthy growth.
Whether nighttime is suitable for watering your grass remains controversial among lawn owners. It’s popularly believed that the water will be able to penetrate deeper into your grasses at night. While some parts of these claims are factual, others are not.
In this article, you’ll discover the facts and myths about watering your grasses at night. You’ll also get insightful tips to help you water your lawns correctly.
Watering Grass at Night Myth
It can be shocking to discover that nighttime isn’t the best time to water your grasses. Doing it during this period will expose them to diseases.
Morning is the best time to water your grasses. This time, the water will reach all the blades because there is less evaporation. Also, the grasses won’t take long to dry up, reducing the risk of diseases caused by dampness.
Watering your grasses in the afternoon is ill-advised. The sun is out, and most water will evaporate instead of benefiting your grass. Therefore, you will need much more than the required water for your lawn in the morning.
Why not Water your Lawn at Night?
The fact that it’s ill-advised to water plants at night isn’t a fallacy; it has adverse effects on them. What are these side effects?
1. It Increases the Risk of Soil Erosion
The ground is damp during nighttime, and most of the water you use to wet your grass during this period won’t soak into the ground quickly. This excess water will flow away and take some of your soil, causing erosion which may leave patches on your lawn.
2. It Promotes Fungal Growth
When you water your grasses in the morning, the plants absorb the needed nutrients, and the sun dries up the unneeded ones on the leaves. During the nighttime, there is no sun to dry the leaves. The dampness of the leaves will make them susceptible to the growth of fungi and bacteria, two notorious organisms that cause plant diseases.
3. It Can Attract Pests
Some pests love wet conditions, and watering your plants at a time when they can’t dry quickly is an invitation to them. Since most of these pests are not good news, prevention is better than cure.
4. It Can Disrupt Plant Activity
A process called “Transpiration” occurs when you water your plants. Water moves through the plant’s roots during transpiration and vaporizes through the stomata. This process helps provide the grasses with moisture and regulate their temperature.
However, the stomata only open during the daytime. Therefore you’re altering the natural sequence of your plant’s activity if you water at night. You altering this plant activity has side effects, notably plant rots and diseases.
The Best Time to Water Grass
Now you know that watering your grass at night damages your grasses, it’s imperative to understand how to do it correctly. While you might think watering it in the morning is okay to solve the issue, it’s more than that. You’ll need to follow some simple watering tips to help keep your grasses green and fresh.
The first of those habits is to get a sprinkler system. When you have a sprinkler system, you won’t need to worry about how or when to water your grasses.
You won’t need to worry about over-watering or under-watering your plants. Most sprinklers have an automatic timer that allows you to set the time and frequency you want to water your lawn.
Knowing your lawn’s grass type is also essential because some grasses require more water than others. Paying attention to the kind of grasses will also help determine the amount of water you need and how frequent the watering should be.
The frequency at which you water your lawn can make or mar it. It should drink around one inch of water weekly. Therefore, watering the grasses for 30 minutes twice or thrice a week using a sprinkler system is okay.
Above all, you should factor in seasonal changes when watering your plants. It will need more water during the summer than during winter periods.
Conclusion
The widely believed statement that watering your lawns at night is good for the plant is a misconception. While it has its benefits, its side effects outweigh the advantages. Waiting until late morning periods to turn on your sprinkler will be more beneficial for your plant.
Now you know that watering grass at night is a bad idea, paying adequate attention to your general grass care is essential. Ensure that you water the lawn adequately and also fertilize it when necessary. Performing all the elements of grass care will make it healthy and give your property a beautiful curb appeal.
