Plant Vegetables in the Morning or Evening?

Young plants need extra care.

New seedlings are sensitive to environmental changes. Don't plunk new seedlings down in your vegetable garden without a little forethought on timing. Planting your vegetable seeds and seedlings at the right time of day gives your vegetable garden the best possible start.

Seeds

Pumpkins grow well from seed.

Plant seeds at any time of the day when planting vegetables in the spring. However, if you plant seeds in late summer for fall crops, plant seeds in the evening. This allows the soil to remain moist after watering. If planting seeds near other crops, morning planting allows the nearby foliage to dry after watering, preventing disease.

Containers

Transplant tomatoes in the evening.

Plant container crops in the early evening or on overcast days. Vegetables planted in the morning must immediately deal with heat, sun and transplant stress. Evening planting delays this problem, allowing the new plant time to recover from root disturbance.

Hardening

Transplant seedlings after the last average frost date.

When starting vegetable seedlings indoors or when buying container-grown plants from a protected greenhouse, acclimate the seedlings before planting them in the garden. Gradually reduce water, expose them to cooler temperatures and increasing amounts of sunlight. Do not bring the plants back indoors. The Colorado State University Extension recommends hardening off plants over the course of one week.

References

• Colorado State University Extension: Hardening Transplants
• University of Missouri Extension: Frequently Asked Vegetable Questions
• North Carolina State University: Home Vegetable Gardening

Resources

• Iowa State University Extension: Planting a Home Vegetable Garden