How much water is saved by watering a garden at night compared to during the day, I'm after actual figures.
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I don't know that you 'save' any water at all. If you water for a certain amount of time, you will use the same amount.
If you water until the ground is really wet, you will still use about the same amount.
The difference is going to be how fast the water evaporates due to the surface temperature of the soil. This will determine how much gets to the roots for the plant to absorb.
I don't think anyone has actual figures or has ever done a test on this. I would guess that it takes twice as much watering during the day to give the roots the same amount of available water, but it depends on the soil type, soil temperature, relative humidity, and depth of the roots.
It is hard to give you an exact answer, but sometimes it can be pretty significant depending on how much you water, how often and where exactly you live.
http://www.waterbudgets.com/conservision...
Go to this site and it will give you a detailed breakdown tailored to your needs. That is really the best I can give you
It's impossible to give you true percentages because each person will water a little more or less than other people. The heat causes us to water more on some days than others. So while we know you do save more by watering at certain times than others, only precisely controlled, empirical studies can even give you actual figures.
Something you should also know: you don't want to water after 10:00 pm in most areas because the water will sit on leaves, causing mildew, and encourage diseases. The best time to water is around 4:00 to 7:00 am. And the pattern you should set your timer to follow is to use three set times for each watering day. For example, set the first time at 4:00am, for 5 minutes. Next, set the start time to 5:00 am, and for 10 minutes. The last time should be at 6:00 am, for 20 minutes. This is for lawn watering times. Some plants will need more or less water, depending on their specific needs.
I agree with Jeanne B I worked for an irrigation company installing and repairing irrigation systems. Do as she said for watering intervals and try not to water during the day. During the day the water droplets can act as a magnifying glass intensifying the suns rays and damage the plants. Also the shock of the cold water on the hot plants can cause some type of shock to the plant. Like you being sprayed with a cold hose on a hot day and you lose a lot of water due to evaporation. Hope this helps, Roy.
This may not answer your question, but you shouldn't water during the hot sunny day, or at night, the best time to water is first thing in the morning. The water won't evaporate during the hot day and watering at night can cause fungus and moss to grow and damage your lawn.
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