Another issue is that plants are living creatures and they breath through their roots so water logged roots mean that they literally drown in water logged soils.

Even mangroves have roots they keep above the sea water levels in order to survive.

Another issue they don't take into account is plant burning in climates like in Aus, where water left on plants can literally act like a magnifying glass and or literally get high enough in temps during summer to cook plants.

I absolutely agree with your thoughts on watering. I do my watering either in the morning or in the evening--depending on my personal energy and my work schedule. The garden and I are very comfortable with things this way.

I never believed the idea that watering in the evening was so bad. Like you said, it rains in the evening and at night so .... Also, I don't get up early -- for anything -- so it's much more convenient to water in the evening after work than first thing in the AM. Right now we're working on another 2+" after the 15" we had last Thursday. Wish I could send some of this to the California wildfires.

Thanks for your comments Jenn, Mary and Bare Bones. It seems that the argument for not watering at night is largely theoretical and points the finger at the wrong problem. Anecdotal evidence such as yours appears to be the norm thereby refuting the debate.

Hi Stuart,
Sorry I haven't been over to visit much lately. Busy, busy, all the time it seems.
I've often pondered on the same thought about watering..(If it rains at night, then....huh?). I water whenever it's convenient too, and more often than not that's in the evening. I think you've hit the nail on the head here.

Thank you for the watering answer. I always heard not to water in the heat of the day becuase it isn't able to get deep into the soil before it evaporates.

I appreciate the info.

Mary :>)

I hope my gardening info would qualify as a popular interest.

I've always said that there were afternoon/evening thunderstorms long before there were gardens and if afternoon/evening water killed plants then they'd all have died off centuries ago.

Greetings again from Blithewold in RI, USA - it's been ages (ever?) since I've commented here... My 2 cents, for what it's worth, is that plants use the water during the day for transpiration. It's not that plants are going to DIE if they're watered at night (although it's true that fungi thrive in the damp dark!) but it's not doing them much good either. These days don't we all want to/need to be more mindful about efficient water use?

I didn't water once this summer. The rain did it for me, sometimes in the day, sometimes in the night. This has not always been the case. The Catskill Mountains were soggy the entire time, or soggy enough.