Gardening expert Alan Titchmarsh shares best times to water your garden

A gardening expert has warned people exactly when to water their garden - and when not to. Alan Titchmarsh shared a video online, revealing that early in the morning or late in the afternoon is best. Explaining the reason for this, the much-loved expert said: "The first thing to think about is what's the best time of day to water".

"The answer is early in the morning or in the evening because then the water will go into action and evaoprate less rapidly than it would in a hot, noon-day sun."

Urging people to use their "common sense" he also noted that you should avoid making a common mistake which could lead to pointless watering.

Alan, best known for BBC2's Gardeners' World and How To Be A Gardener - among many more shows - explained: "Don't do your water accoridng to the calendar" such as "regularly or every single day."

He says: "If it's been pouring down, if it's cool, the water will be lost from the soil much more slowly than on a hot, dry day. when with containers in particular on really hot summer days, you may be watering both morning and evening. Use your common sense, not the clock."

In fact, "as a general rule of thumb, it's good to make plants search out their own water supply, particularly in beds and borders, but you'll notice the moment comes where they are starting to wilt, they are starting to be under stress, and that's the time to act. Ideally, obviously, before that."

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But there is a way to tell that they need water before this. He urges people to not just look, but feel too. He shares: "If you look at a border and it looks dry on top, it may still be moist underneath. Get your trowel out, just dig down a couple of inches. If soil looks like a freshly rung out flannel and feels damp, it's got enough water in it."

The garden expert then shared you are better watering your plants close to the roots at the base (on top of the soil) because that's where it's "needed the most". Don't do what many do and piibt your hose at the plant and wet the leaves.