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Key Points
- Watering, fertilizing, transplanting, seeding, and pruning are best done in the early morning or evening to avoid stressing plants.
- Midday heat can scorch leaves, evaporate water before it reaches roots, and weaken new plants.
- Timing your garden chores for cooler parts of the day helps plants thrive.
It might be tempting to do some gardening when the sun is strongest in the middle of the day, but for many tasks, it’s not the best idea. A gardening expert warns that several actions could be stressing out your plants—and you—if they’re done during the most intense sunlight and heat during the day.
So, which plant-related chores should you do earlier or later in the day? We talked to a gardening pro about what tasks you should wait to do in the morning or evening, when the sun and heat are less intense.
Meet the Expert
Amy McCord is the founder and CEO of Flower Moxie.
Watering Your Plants
Gardening experts often recommend watering your plants in the early morning or evening, but never at the height of the day. That’s because the water will likely evaporate before hitting the plant’s roots.
“It not only wastes a precious commodity, but also runs the risk of scorching foliage as water droplets act as a magnifying glass,” Amy McCord, the founder and CEO of Flower Moxie, says.
If you can only water your garden in midday, then she suggests taking a hose directly to the base of the plant to reach those roots and give them a good soaking.
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Transplanting Seedlings
Transplanting young seedlings can stress out a plant, but doing so during the hottest part of the day can distress the already fragile plant and cause it to wilt or eventually die.
McCord recommends transplanting at dusk and hydrating the plant fully to let it thrive in its new home.
Planting Seeds
Similarly, don’t plant seeds at peak sun, either. The intense heat can dry out the soil and may negatively impact germination—meaning, your seeds won’t take root or grow at all or they’ll be severely delayed.
McCord says you should also plant seeds and hydrate at dusk to prevent any stress on the seeds.
Applying Fertilizer
Giving your plant another dose of nutrients should happen when the sun isn’t at its peak, especially if the fertilizer is chemical-based.
“Heat and heavy chemicals do not mix, so it’s best to do this in a non-peak sun time,” McCord says.
During midday, your garden will be less likely to soak up the benefits from that fertilizer, and it could also burn the plants’ roots and leaves. It’s much safer to do this in the morning or evening.
Heavy Pruning
Many plants need pruning, but if you do this task during peak sun, the plant will get sunburnt and stressed. Cutting off dead blooms and leaves exposes the inner part of a plant’s system to heat, oxidation, and dehydration.
McCord recommends saving this task for the evening and then following the pruning with a good, heavy watering to let the plant heal and adjust before the next day of sun.
