If you wait until noon or later when the sun is very hot, the water can actually burn the plants. The sun-heated water will get too hot for the fragile stems and leaves, and it will leave damage in its wake. Try to water your garden before 10 am, to make sure the water has plenty of time to seep into the soil and dry a little before the sun gets strong. Watering in the afternoon wastes your water since more of it will evaporate before soaking into the soil.

If you wait until the afternoon, aim to water from 4 pm on, since before that time the sun may still be strong enough to burn your plants. If you absolutely must water when the sun is strong, try to do so only occasionally, rather than making it an everyday habit.

Only water at night as a very last resort, if your plants are very thirsty and you can’t wait until morning. If you must water at night, water the soil to avoid getting the plant itself wet, and use less water to avoid waterlogging. Irrigation tape or a soaker hose makes this much easier.

Another good test is to insert your finger a few inches into the soil. If it feels completely dry, it’s probably time to water. If it’s wet just below the surface, give it more time. Use common sense when it comes to the frequency with which you water your plants. For example, if it has been a rainy week, your plants don’t need as much water. If you’re in a drought, they might need extra water.

Watering over the plant and getting the leaves all wet is also detrimental to the plant’s health. Water that sits on the leaves can either cause mold to form or cause the plant to overheat. If you find it difficult to water the roots using your hose, look into a special watering system that waters plants close to the ground, such as a soaker hose or a drip-tape irrigation system.

That’s why it’s healthiest to water plants sparingly, but deeply. Instead of watering just a little bit every day, choose one or two days a week to give the plants a good, deep watering. That means spending a full thirty seconds or more on each area, rather than just spraying the garden down quickly.

Leaves that are yellow or brownish at the tips Limp, soggy foliage Signs of rot