Don't water your lawn in the middle of the day

[snopes]

Comment: Is it true that if you water your lawn in the middle of the day,
that the droplets will magnify the sun light and "burn" the grass and kill
flowers? If that's true, how come it doesn't happen after a mid-day rain?

[RichardM]

It is illegal in the area served by the north Texas Municipal Water District to water between the houts of 10AM and 6PM. Water conservation is the reason.

And the reason that rain doesn't spot flowers is that it very seldom goes from rain to full sun instantly.

[Mr. Furious]

I was told that you shouldn't water in the middle of the day because a much larger portion of the water used will evaporate than if you water very early in the morning or in the evening. I never heard anything about water droplets burning the grass.

[Four Kitties]

I've heard the story, but I don't have a lawn so I can't experiment.

My mother waters midday all the time, and I've never noticed burnt grass at her house.

Four Kitties

[violetbon]

I just put $2,000.00 of new sod in my backyard, (Rather, I had it put!) and the only time it burned was when I didn't water it at all! Seriously, in my zeal to discover the best time to water my sod, I have hunted on the internet and found advice to water in the morning, noon, and night, and not water in the morning, noon, and night. I water it in the afternoon when I get home from work, and it does just fine.

[Squishy0405]

The way I've heard it is that if the temp outside is too hot the excess water will heat up & potentially boil therefore killing the plant/roots from underneath (not so sure on the "boiling" part)...

[lynnejanet]

The city here advises against watering during the day ( infact, it's against a bylaw) because of evaporation. Long, slow evening waterings penetrate deep into the soil and encourage deep root growth, protecting against drought.

[Ariadne]

When I lived in Colorado no one was supposed to water in midday for the same reason RichardM and lynnejanet suggested; the water evaporates quickly in the sun and more is needed, which is not good in an arid region. Even three years later in Iowa, where water conservation is not nearly as much of an issue, when I see people watering their lawns in the middle of the day I feel a little irritated.

[Dropbear]

Originally Posted by snopes

Comment: Is it true that if you water your lawn in the middle of the day,
that the droplets will magnify the sun light and "burn" the grass and kill
flowers? If that's true, how come it doesn't happen after a mid-day rain?

Which is why all those children playing under sprinklers end up with freckles - they are really micro-burns from the droplets of water.

Dropbear

[Floater]

Variation on the theme.

[Salamander]

Originally Posted by Dropbear

Which is why all those children playing under sprinklers end up with freckles - they are really micro-burns from the droplets of water.

Dropbear

Tasmania actually gets warm enough to have a "summer"?

I thought the primary concern for kids in Tassie when it came to playing under the sprinkler (in "summer") would be hypothermia.

[Dropbear]

Originally Posted by Salamander

Tasmania actually gets warm enough to have a "summer"?

I thought the primary concern for kids in Tassie when it came to playing under the sprinkler (in "summer") would be hypothermia.

Psht. You mainlanders with your namby-pamby notions of hypothermia. It's nowt but a bit brisk. Fresh, perhaps, at best. Good for the circulation.

I swear the other day I saw some mainlanders wandering about with jackets on when it was over 17 degrees. The rest of us were enjoying the sunshine in our sarongs and t-shirts.

Dropbear

[ange84]

Originally Posted by Dropbear

Psht. You mainlanders with your namby-pamby notions of hypothermia. It's nowt but a bit brisk. Fresh, perhaps, at best. Good for the circulation.

I swear the other day I saw some mainlanders wandering about with jackets on when it was over 17 degrees. The rest of us were enjoying the sunshine in our sarongs and t-shirts.

Dropbear

Being from north Queensland, 17 degrees is a cold winters day. Now i live out here, i'm slowly getting used to it, although hubby gets the cold song ( mostly me walking about saying it's cold, repeatedly in stupid voices) most mornings at the moment.

My great grandmother used to mow her lawn in the middle of the day, her reasoning was the grass stood up taller which meant it was cut better.

[DawnStorm]

Originally Posted by lynnejanet

The city here advises against watering during the day ( infact, it's against a bylaw) because of evaporation. Long, slow evening waterings penetrate deep into the soil and encourage deep root growth, protecting against drought.

That's what I've always heard regarding watering plants, both ornamentals and veggies.