– Christine Gelley, Agriculture and Natural Resources Educator, Noble County OSU Extension
On a hot, sunny, day you may see your garden plants getting droopy in the summer sun and longing for a cool drink of water. As sorry as you may feel for the plants, it is better to wait to water until the heat of the day subsides. Even better yet would be to greet your plants with the morning light and offer them a drink before the day begins.
The danger of watering at the “wrong time” is leaf damage. Water droplets left on the leaves in intense sun can scald plant tissue and lead to dead patches on leaves. In turn, leaving plants with wet leaves overnight increases the risk of fungal pathogen establishment in your garden. If the method you use to water results in wet plant leaves, the best time to water is in the morning before 9 AM. Watering in the morning allows time for water droplets left on the plant tissue to dry before the heat of the day sets in.
If you water with a drip irrigation system or a soaker hose, you can water effectively in the morning or at night because plant leaves will stay dry. Another option for gradual watering that can help avoid excessively wet plant tissue is to make your own drip irrigation by recycling containers, like a coffee can.
In 1906, Farm Journal published the following advice,
“Sink a tomato can (through the bottom of which a couple of small nail holes have been made) two-thirds of its depth in the center of the hill. Fill this can with water any time of day you please; you do not have to wait until the sun goes down. The water is thus supplied to the plant in a gradual and natural manner, and at a normal temperature.”
You could try this method with any number of household disposable goods at no cost to you. All you need is the ability to punch holes in the bottom of a clean container, dig a shallow hole near the plants needing water and fill the vessel on occasion. The water will gradually flow out of the container and into the soil, rather than onto the leaf tissue.
If you have other innovative ways to recycle household goods into gardening tools, I would love to hear about them. Send an email to gelley.2@osu.edu and include a picture or video of your tool in action.