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View Full Version : is watering banana plants mid day bad?


hotwheels80
04-24-2012, 11:14 AM
I'm trying to plan for a hot summer. I have thought about setting a second watering cycle for my banana plants to come on mid afternoon,besides the early morning. Someone told me that I would damage the plants by doing so. Is that true?

alias
04-24-2012, 11:25 AM
It colud be, I have been thought to not water plant during hot weather beacause you can 'burn' it, and she will also languish. You can water it in the morning and in evening.

hotwheels80
04-24-2012, 11:29 AM
It colud be, I have been thought to not water plant during hot weather beacause you can 'burn' it, and she will also languish. You can water it in the morning and in evening.

Ok, I was told the same. I'll set my timers to come on early morning and around dusk. Thanks for the info.

mksmth
04-24-2012, 11:52 AM
its more "how" you water mid day then doing it mid day. If you overhead water the droplets can act as magnifying glasses and burn the leaves.

Mike

kaczercat
04-24-2012, 01:07 PM
yea like you said i've heard people water their plants not just bananas in the morning or evening. I've watered mine through out the day and maybe they just grow slower no other noticeable damage.

palmtree
04-24-2012, 03:47 PM
I water about 11am during the summer with no problems. Never seen unusually slow growth or damaged leaves. During hot days I water in the evening as well.

sunfish
04-24-2012, 04:42 PM
What happens if it rains in the middle of the day ? Does it hurt plants ?

kaczercat
04-24-2012, 04:48 PM
What happens if it rains in the middle of the day ? Does it hurt plants ?

LOL so true.

TommyMacLuckie
04-24-2012, 11:09 PM
It doesn't matter. I water overhead in the day in SE Louisiana where it gets into the 140s plus and it doesn't "burn" the plants. If this was the case then how come nothing ever gets damaged during afternoon rain storms when the sun is shining and it's hot? The problem with 'common sense' is it makes no sense.

Regardless, best time is the morning, right before sunrise. It's just better for the plants period - best water pressure, less stress and the least amount of evaporation.

bananarama2
04-25-2012, 01:44 AM
The one caveat I would add about mid-day watering is concerning the source of your water and its temperature. I water from a deep well, and sometimes the water runs pretty cold. In this case, I try to water at soil level only (say during a particularly hot spell), but like Tommy mentioned, the best time is early in the day. This provides the plant with enough moisture reserve to avoid wilting during the afternoon when the sun is hottest. In addition, I try to avoid watering after the sun goes down, so I don't cool the soil around the plant too much. So, often the bananas get a second little drink late afternoon, so the soil can warm up again. Note: Moist soil will hold heat much better than dry, helping plants in areas where the nights are often cool, such as the high prairies and some mountainous areas. My thoughts........:2738:

TommyMacLuckie
04-25-2012, 08:49 PM
I water my bananas all times of the day. But when it's usually quite warm it doesn't matter!

Carol2
04-27-2012, 09:02 PM
I water overhead in the day in SE Louisiana where it gets into the 140s plus

Nahhhhhh. (Maybe inside a car or a greenhouse.)

pitangadiego
04-28-2012, 09:17 PM
I water at the base of the plants, and water any time of day (or night) that I have time. Can't see any harm from any time. If it needs water, water it.

Worm_Farmer
04-29-2012, 09:27 AM
I was asked just this question yesterday. So I asked a question in response to their question. If you were running a marathon on a hot day, would you want a cup of water mid run? Or wait till you win the race and cool down first?

TommyMacLuckie
04-29-2012, 11:02 AM
Nahhhhhh. (Maybe inside a car or a greenhouse.)

Yeaaaahhhhhh, actually. It gets incredibly hot in SE Louisiana in the sun in the summer. When they tell you it's 96 degrees out that's in the shade. Quite different in the sun. And also a big reason why the fruit here never reaches full maturity size wise - it's too hot.

TommyMacLuckie
04-29-2012, 11:04 AM
The one caveat I would add about mid-day watering is concerning the source of your water and its temperature. I water from a deep well, and sometimes the water runs pretty cold. In this case, I try to water at soil level only (say during a particularly hot spell), but like Tommy mentioned, the best time is early in the day. This provides the plant with enough moisture reserve to avoid wilting during the afternoon when the sun is hottest. In addition, I try to avoid watering after the sun goes down, so I don't cool the soil around the plant too much. So, often the bananas get a second little drink late afternoon, so the soil can warm up again. Note: Moist soil will hold heat much better than dry, helping plants in areas where the nights are often cool, such as the high prairies and some mountainous areas. My thoughts........:2738:

Our cold water in the spring, summer and fall is between 75 and 85 degrees. That's part of why I never worry about when I water.

bananafarmer
05-09-2012, 12:44 PM
I have some concerns about watering overhead,

I heard about some people here who stopped watering the bananas overhead because water collected in the middle of the plant inside, I suppose this water can also get very hot when its reached by sunrays.

By time the middle of the plant was fouling, so these people stopped watering their bananas overhead.

momoese
05-09-2012, 05:50 PM
On really hot dry days I have set up misters to keep up the humidity. I figure as the water evaps it rises up under the leaves. They seem to stay open a little more when I do this.

TommyMacLuckie
05-10-2012, 08:15 PM
I have some concerns about watering overhead,

I heard about some people here who stopped watering the bananas overhead because water collected in the middle of the plant inside, I suppose this water can also get very hot when its reached by sunrays.

By time the middle of the plant was fouling, so these people stopped watering their bananas overhead.

You have to keep in mind that it rains during the daytime hours on bananas in the wild and on plantations as well. They don't die or go bad from being watered during the day the same as during the night from irrigation or rain.

So... it's not a problem. I've never heard of such a thing.

Velutina
05-12-2012, 09:55 AM
I water overhead in the day in SE Louisiana where it gets into the 140s plus

Mandeville, LA (70448)
The highest recorded temperature was 107°F in 2000.

107F is a typical summer day here. Gets up to about 114F each year and a record high of 117F. Las Vegas is HOT, but has never reached anything close to 140F


I water in the morning and afternoon. I use drip irrigation, but use a hose on extra hot days to increase humidity and cool things down.

bananafarmer
05-12-2012, 10:01 AM
You have to keep in mind that it rains during the daytime hours on bananas in the wild and on plantations as well. They don't die or go bad from being watered during the day the same as during the night from irrigation or rain.

So... it's not a problem. I've never heard of such a thing.

This was was based on greenhouses,

I suppose the water that is gathered in the middle will not stay a long time inside the banana, when the plants are outside.

Wind and evaporation will dissolve the water in a short time, in a greenhouse the water will stay a much longer time inside the plant.

TommyMacLuckie
05-12-2012, 10:06 AM
Mandeville, LA (70448)
The highest recorded temperature was 107°F in 2000.

107F is a typical summer day here. Gets up to about 114F each year and a record high of 117F. Las Vegas is HOT, but has never reached anything close to 140F


I water in the morning and afternoon. I use drip irrigation, but use a hose on extra hot days to increase humidity and cool things down.

You are aware that temperature is measured in the shade, right? I've talked with several local weathermen that all said the same thing - it gets into the 120s to the 160s in the sun here. I'm sure it does that in other places as well but then you can add in the humidity... Last year there was one day where it got up to 108F in the shade.

TommyMacLuckie
05-12-2012, 10:06 AM
This was was based on greenhouses,

I suppose the water that is gathered in the middle will not stay a long time inside the banana, when the plants are outside.

Wind and evaporation will dissolve the water in a short time, in a greenhouse the water will stay a much longer time inside the plant.

Ah. Well hell - that makes sense!

Velutina
05-12-2012, 11:36 AM
You are aware that temperature is measured in the shade, right? I've talked with several local weathermen that all said the same thing - it gets into the 120s to the 160s in the sun here. I'm sure it does that in other places as well but then you can add in the humidity... Last year there was one day where it got up to 108F in the shade.

To say it is 160F is misleading. When you are standing in the sun, thermal radiation from the sun makes it feel warmer. The same way a thermometer in the sun will absorb thermal radiation and give an inaccurate representation of the surrounding air temperature. This is why weather thermometers are protected from wind, water, solar radiation, etc. The goal is to measure the air temperature as accurately as possible.

Humidity has nothing to do with temperature readings. High humidity may make it feel hotter than reported, but that's because you lose evaporative cooling.

Bananas fold their leaves on hot sunny days to reduce the amount of thermal radiation collected. They also close the stomata, which preserves water, but also slows water conduction and the elimination of oxygen and other waste products. By watering on a hot sunny day, this increases humidity and will help with transpiration. If you live in a humid climate, as long as the soil is moist, I see no reason to water mid-day.

sunfish
05-12-2012, 11:49 AM
I'm watering my plants right now

blownz281
05-12-2012, 08:32 PM
I would rather water them, then not.

momoese
05-12-2012, 08:38 PM
I'm watering my plants right now

While your posting? :ha:

sunfish
05-12-2012, 08:39 PM
While your posting? :ha:

Between posting :)

Dalmatiansoap
05-13-2012, 03:35 AM
While your posting? :ha:

Between posting :)

Multitasking:ha: