1. Watering Plants During Mid-day Sun Can Lead to Burnt Leaves

You should avoid routinely watering plants when the mid-day sun is shining on them intensely because the sun's heat will cause some of the water you use to water your plants to evaporate before the soil has the chance to absorb it completely. This effect can lead to both water waste and accidental underwatering of plants.

However, water droplets that land on plant leaves when watering on a sunny day will not amplify the sun's rays like a magnifying glass and scorch leaves, as many people believe. Instead, these water drops evaporate right back into the atmosphere, as some of the water that penetrates into the soil does, causing no harm to plant leaves.

2. Plant Wilting Is Always a Sign of Underwatering

When many people notice that their plants have begun to wilt, they begin watering these plants for a longer period of time and/or more often due to the misconception that all plant wilting is caused by lack of water. However, plants can wilt for several reasons, and you should always take steps to determine the cause of the wilting before giving these plants extra water.

In fact, some plants wilt due to overwatering, and providing these plants extra water can lead to a further decline in health. When the soil surrounding a plant's root system is oversaturated with water, excess water can displace oxygen in the soil that the plant also needs to thrive. In addition, wilting can also be caused by certain plant fungal diseases, and these fungal diseases can worsen when soil is too wet.

Other causes of plant wilting include too much or too little sun and plant damage caused by insects.

3. Drought-Tolerant Plants Should Never Be Watered

Another common plant irrigation myth is that drought-tolerant plants should never be watered. While it is true that you never want to overwater drought-tolerant plants, these plants do need some water, especially during the first two growing seasons after they are planted.

In fact, most drought-resistant plants need to be watered fairly frequently for one to two seasons before they become resistant to drought conditions. This extra water helps them grow and establish the deep root systems they need to absorb water deep within the soil during future drought conditions.

After your drought-tolerant plants establish these root systems, you can reduce watering frequency. Typically, fully established drought-tolerant plants only need to be watered when they begin to decline in appearance during drought conditions.

4. Watering at Night Is Better Than Early-Morning Watering

Many avid gardeners water their plants after the sun sets in the evening instead of in the morning to limit water evaporation caused by the mid-day sun. However, the water that lands on plant leaves often does not evaporate during the cool evening hours after the sun has set, and this excess water can create a breeding ground for certain plant fungal and bacterial diseases.

The ideal time to water plants is in the morning between the hours of 5 a.m. and 9 a.m. During this slightly warmer time frame, any water that lands on plant leaves will likely evaporate before it can contribute to disease. However, since the sun's rays are not yet strong during these hours, you don't have to worry about the sun's heat causing the water to evaporate before soil and plant roots have time to absorb it.

Whether you are an avid landscaper or new home gardener, forget these four landscaping irrigation myths for better plant health. Contact the irrigation experts at Smith Irrigation & Landscaping for residential irrigation system design and installation today.