Ok, folks, my question is when do you water and why?
Not a silly question, I have my watering regime and I would like to know what you do.
Geoff.

I water when the topsoil is dry for several hours, and no rain is expected for the next half a day or so. Naturally, this depends on general weather outlook; Hotter days I take a more dedicated approch than rainy days.

Key is: If possible, I let the pot go relatively dry before watering again, and I prerf early morning over late evening watering, to ensure a dryer soil surface (Less problems with fungus gnats).

Ok, let me ask again. When do you water? I water in the morning not evening. This is so that the tree can take the water during the day and use it with photosynthesis to produce food. Watering in the evening is not the best time, the temperature is falling, and light going also. The tree will be left with cold soggy feet all night.
Geoff

m5eaygeoff wrote:

Ok, let me ask again. When do you water? I water in the morning not evening.

Are you asking us when we water, or telling us when we need to water ?

I water, if needed, late afternoon mostly at this time of year when I water the other 50 or so flowering plant containers and greenhouse plants, no particular reason, right or wrong it's just my own routine

Dave

m5eaygeoff wrote:

Ok, let me ask again. When do you water?

Somehow I get the feeling you feel something is wrong with my answer?

No, I did not think your answer is wrong. I water at this time of year every day or more. I was told by the Japanese master I worked with that it was not good to water in the evening, and that watering in the morning is best. I wanted to see how others water. It is less critical in summer, but early and later in the year it is. I have been watering morning for ten years now, and it seems to be beneficial.
After all if you think about it, having wet roods all night as the temperature drops is not so good, and watering in the morning as the light increases and temperature increases the tree can make use of the water much quicker.
We were at a workshop with the master once, and one of the others said that he did not have time to water in the morning and the master sadi "get up earlier".
Geoff.

So, you did not really want to ask us when we water, but give us a lecture about when to water

Good. I agree with what you write.
Only remark: I do not get up early for my trees. I do not really consider it a big problem to water end of the morning or even in the afternoon. I do not water anymore after that, except when I forgot and it's really dry and hot. Indeed that is more critical in summer (not always in the Netherlands, but this year we seem to be having a real one).

My trees are not protected from rain - and I cannot prevent them from being 'watered' by nature. Do you protect them from that, so you have full control of when they are watered ?

Just the way I do it and have for a long time. I am not telling anyone how to do it. I water even after rain, as many have canopies and do not get enough.
There are days when I can leave it, but it needs to be cooler. This summer I have had to water every day, even as yeaterday when we had 3 hours of rain then the sun came out and it was very warm. Many of the trees were damp and would have been too dry later, so I went over them and watered.
I usually do the watering around 9am. Sometimes this year it has been necessay to water agin in the afternoon.
The other reason for the question is that I have a lot of books but not one tells when to water, time of day that is.
During the winter I have a cover over most of the trees, this keeps most of the rain off, not the frost but in the summer it is not needed. This year for a short time I did put some shading up to try to reduce the need for watering and give a little shade.
Geoff

I water when I feel like it, between 2 and 3 pm in the summer. In the winter I water once or twice a week, depending on how fast they dry out. In the winter it does not matter what time of day you water because its gonna be cold at all times of the day and night. Trees don't react to cold like humans do especially in dormancy and they dont care how wet there feet are, as long as they have air to the roots. You could put a tree on 24 hour watering and it would be fine as long as the water was well oxygenated. A well drained and maintained substrate will be hard to overwater. Most water advice from old Masters comes from when organic mixes were mostly used. Modern day clay pebbles take almost all the guess work out of watering, its easier to underwater than overwater if done right. Junipers and pines tolerate some drought, but that does not mean they prefer it. If watered and fertilized a lot, they grow faster and are healthier.

Since you wanted a debate, here it is.