We see it all the time here at Keep it Green, especially with newly purchased plants. In an effort to shower them all the care they possibly can, eager plant owners over water to the point of damaging them. Plants should be watered once in the morning to give them what they need throughout the day. It might be appropriate to give a light syringe early in afternoon. Watering in the morning gives plants the necessary nutrients and moisture to make them grow during the day but they need to be dry at night while they rest.
If you water during the late afternoon or evening, the plant goes to bed wet resulting in a strong possibility of a fungus forming because of the excess moisture. Once the fungus develops, we have to treat for it and often times it is very hard to save them.
This recommendation pertains to most plants in the area around Tampa Bay where the hot sun persists for months at a time. Thankfully, enough humidity is generally in the air to aide in soil moisture retention. If you would like to monitor the moisture in the soil of your Tampa plants, you can purchase a moisture meter for around ten dollars. If you don’t have one, just try to make sure the soil is damp when you test with your finger.