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Many gardeners may not realise there is an ideal time to water plants, especially during spells of hot weather. The timing is important for several crucial reasons, the most obvious being the need to prevent evaporation, ensuring plants can take up moisture before the heat draws it from the soil.

Selecting the correct time of day to water your garden can also help prevent certain diseases while minimising stress on your plants. Further basic steps include not doing overhead watering and, in certain cases, taking into account the type of water used, depending on the plant. But, as a general rule, there is a clear optimal time to water outdoor plants for the best outcomes.

According to gardening specialists at Blooming Expert, late afternoon or early evening - between 4pm and 6pm, while there is still some light and warmth remaining - is the "best time" of day to water garden plants.

They found that providing plants with a drink in the early evening is "better than letting them suffer irreversible damage until the next morning."

During periods of hot weather, soil can become parched quickly, leaving plants in desperate need of moisture to survive.

The idea is that even overnight, residual warmth can allow some surface moisture to evaporate, meaning a plant's need for water can outweigh the typical risks that come with evening watering.

Those watering their plants late in the evening should take care to direct water towards the root zone instead of the foliage, as wet leaves can rapidly result in disease.

In a post on the Gardening Hints and Tips Facebook page, gardeners offered their perspectives on the ideal time to water plants - with most preferring the evening.

One said: "I do evenings. When the sun sets over the house. Between five and 5:30pm. Another wrote: "I like to water in the evenings. It gives the plants overnight to drink.

Someone else commented: "I do my plants in the evening, but lawn sprinklers are set to go off at 6am for 30 minutes.

"Shouldn't leave a lawn damp overnight on purpose (obvs can't help if it rained), can lead to more disease growth, and middle of the day, it just evaporates and can't soak into the ground."

A fourth added: "Water in the evening - the plant and soil retain more moisture. Watering in the morning or afternoon allows the water to evaporate, so less water is held in the soil for the roots."

The amount of water a plant needs will vary according to its position, species, soil composition, and numerous other considerations. For instance, most plants receive sufficient moisture from spring rainfall and only need watering during prolonged dry periods.

Yet, now that summer is here, they require substantially more water as the temperatures remain high.