Should the amount of watering exterior house plants be adjusted when temperatures are hotter than usual?

Watering should go up if it’s not raining. My fuschias were drooping in the heat and the water running right through the pots so I’ve starting misting them with the hose every day instead of watering every other day while it’s hot.

I water my potted plants that are on the deck at night, when it’s cooler. I dont’ know if that’s helpful, but that way the water doesn’t evaporate in the heat. That’s my logic.

Generally you should water them when the soil gets dry, not by any specific schedule. This may be more often in the summer, but it might also be less, depending on rain, temperature, humidity and placement.

Some plants need more water, some need less.

Make sure the drainage holes are open on the bottom of pots. I have some pots that were brand new and I never took the plug out of the hole, and with all the rain we had, the soil was too wet. I took the plugs out and voila, proper drainage.

My understanding is that it’s NOT good to spray the leaves wet in the morning or when the sun is up & beating down on the plant because it cooks them. However, it IS beneficial to water the soil in the evening after the sun is NO longer overhead assuming that you have good drainage holes in all of the pots or good drainage in the soil. This allows the roots to draw the much needed water before the sun returns to beat down on them the next day. With tomatoes, you need to keep the bottom leaves trimmed up several inches above the soil to stop various diseases that attacks the leaves when the wet soil gets on them. My rule of thumb is to check the soil daily to see how dry it is. If it’s still wet, it probably doesn’t “need” more water!!! You can buy a water meter for under $10 that you slide a probe into the soil & see how deep the water level is or the percentage of wetness & know exactly when to water again.

^^Thanks so much jellies!!!

I water more when it gets hotter, because the soil dries faster.

I water our lawn in the morning. Mushroom spores pop open and start sprouting when wetted. When sunlight hits them they get roasted. That way I don’t grow mushrooms in my lawn.

Water tends to evaporate quicker (even from soil) when the temperature is up, especially if the humidity is down. More watering should be considered. We keep a close eye on the leaves of our potted plants. As the water leaves their pots, the leaves start to droop. It’s a sure sign more water is needed. Pour some water into the pot and you can watch the plants perk right up.