Why i think it's best to water Lawns during Day Light Hours...?

Question

Please read through my logic to see if this makes sense and comment below:

I am trying to find the best time to water and keep my lawn the greenest during its dormancy stage (lawn is yellow). I have read in many places that the best time is at 3am (before the sun comes up). And that lawns need 1 inch of water/week.

One pattern i've noticed in nature is that when it rains the grass greens up much quicker and fuller with less quantity of water than sprinklers. This got me thinking if whether water vapor humidity is assisting in quicker green up since quantity of water may not be the sole reason.

AND there might be something significant as to what time in the day when it water arrives on the lawn ... meaning if there was water and sunlight you get photosynthesis (sun + water) == GREEN?

So, my logic is its best to water your lawn at say 5pm (while the sun is still out) or about 7am (sun is out). This way your lawn gets water and sun at the same time which equals GREEN!

Comments?

Answer 1

I've been gardening for over 12 years and I've found from personal experience that the best time to water any plant is either in the early morning before the sun becomes too hot or in the early evening when the sun is weak.  When you water plants during the part of the day when the sun is strongest, most of the water evaporates into the air and does no good for the plant.  You use more water trying to get the soil moist.  Watering during the times I mentioned allows the water to soak into the ground plus it has time to evaporate from the foliage, thus reducing risk of plant disease.

Answer 2

Lawns should be watered at or just before sunrise. The reasons being ; 1 - watering during daylight hours causes the sun to bake the lawn. 2 - watering late at night is not good because molds & bacteria can grow in the dark, moist lawns and ruin your lawn.

Therefore, just before sunrise, say 1/2 an hour before sunrise allows the lawn to absorb the moisture and with the sun coming up so soon after watering, molds can not get a foothold.

As far as rainwater goes, it is not chlorinated and has many more nutrinents.( try pond water or river water & see the difference compared to city water.)

Answer 3

Your thinking has one big flaw. Rainwater contains more natural nutrients than the water from your sprinklers. Plants of all types should be watered before the sun starts getting hotter. This way, the water has a chance to be absorbed by the plants and not evaporated by the heat. Grass with water on the blades is also magnifying the suns rays and it is possible to burn it.

Answer 4

There are natural elements in rain water which are good for the grass and plants.   When it rains, there isn't any sun either.  When you water, there shouldn't be any either.  If there is, then the grass, plants, or trees cannot absorb the moisture before the sun dries it up.  If you were to get out of the pool soaking wet at 3 am, would you stay wet longer this way or at 3 pm.

Answer 5

I've always heard that you're to water your lawn in the early morning before it gets too hot, that way excess water is evaporated and not left to stand on the grass.   My dad always said the water and the hot sun would make it boil on the grass....Hope this helps!!

Answer 6

I disagree.....

The professionals usually say water before or just about the time the sun rises....with good reason, the sun doesn't have time to soak up the water that just gave your lawn a drink it also AM  is when the wind blows slower and causes less evaporation....So grass  gets a chance to drink the water less water is wasted through evaporation

grass is now green because YOU went green.

Edited: Either way the grass get the benefits of the sun during the day, but, the sun doesn't get the benefit of the water.