9 Gardening Things You Should Never Do in the Afternoon

Ralph Astley is a retired gardener from Philadelphia who specializes in outdoor plants and trees. With years of hands-on experience, Ralph not only cares for a diverse range of outdoor flora but also shares his extensive knowledge through well-written articles and social media posts. A trusted authority in arboriculture, he's committed to helping the community grow healthier, more robust gardens.
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Want to keep your yard trouble-free? Here are 9 Gardening Things You Should Never Do in the Afternoon and better leave them for morning or the evening.

To help you maintain a good yard with healthy plants, we bring you the top Gardening Things You Should Never Do in the Afternoon! Follow these tips to have a fabulous garden all year round.


Gardening Things You Should Never Do in the Afternoon

1. Avoid Watering

Gardening Things You Should Never Do in the Afternoon

Watering your garden plants in the afternoon, especially in the summer, is not a good idea, as the sun is at its peak, and the water will vaporize soon instead of getting absorbed by the roots and soil. Following a morning schedule is the best when it comes to watering!

2. Do Not Re-pot and Transplant

Planting or repotting tasks are best done in the evening or morning to save plants from transplanting shock and stress. Doing the same in the afternoon will expose them to intense heat, making them go into a state of shock.

If possible, transplanting is done best on a cloudy day with a cool and humid atmosphere, which helps in providing sufficient time to adapt and establish.

3. Say No to Pruning

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Pruning requires a lot of attention in maintaining the shape, beauty, and health of plants. It’s best that you don’t perform this task in the afternoon as it will expose the fresh wounds of the plants to intense heat. This tip is applicable more for hot, frost-free climates. Do this chore in the early morning or evening.

4. Avoid Taking Cuttings to Propagate

shutterstock/Whiteaster

Taking cuttings in the afternoon sun is not a good idea as the plant is devoid of moisture during the intense heat. Also, once you take the cutting, the heat will accelerate the process of wilting, which will decrease the chances of propagation.

Always propagate the plant in the early morning or late evening. The same applies to divisions, too.

5. No Fertilization

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Applying water-soluble fertilizer works best in the morning or evening, as the sun is not present during these times of the day. Feeding the plants in intense heat will do more harm than good.

If you are using a liquid fertilizer, then most of it will evaporate in the sun, wasting the product.

6. Don’t Use Pesticides

Using pesticides that contain oil in the afternoon can encourage the risk of phototoxicity. Most of the chemical pesticides and fungicides will also evaporate in the heat. Also, as the pollinators are most active during mid-day–spraying pesticides this time will harm them too.

7. Avoid Deadheading Flowers

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Cutting off spent flowers and leaves can become a tiresome task, especially if you live in a warm climate. It will also expose the wound to the intense heat of the sun, which can damage the stems. Also, if you’re picking cut flowers, it’s not the ideal time.

8. Weeding

shutterstock/Namning

The soil around the plants can be very hard due to the harsh sun, which makes pulling off weeds difficult, and it may also damage the plant’s roots they are near to. It is best to weed the garden just after you have watered your plants in the morning or evening.

9. Harvesting Herbs

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shutterstock/DarwelShots

Essential oils in the herbs are not at their peak in the afternoon, so avoid harvesting the leaves if you want an amazing flavor. The best time to harvest herbs is early in the morning, right before the dew dries out, for the best flavor and taste!

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