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Leaves probably want some moisture too. If you run pipes straight to the stem you'll have to rearrange them each time you changes here individual plants are which is harder to automate.

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Well, my understanding (and common advice) is actually not to water the leaves at all if possible as that has no benefit apart from helping diseases set in.

You can damage the plant if you water leaves in bright sunshine, because water will act as a lens and leaves will get burned. Otherwise I'd follow nature: plants get water when it rains, so leaves should have some water too.

Watering at nightfall when the ambient temperature is below 70F is a recipe for rot as well.

When it's cold, you water in the morning. When it's hot, you water at night.

I didn't know thank you.

Depending on the species it may make sense to raise the humidity in the air (that's especially valid for indoor plants or tropical plants in greenhouses, hence misting). But watering the leaves is not needed and is pretty much useless to the plant. In nature of course plants get wet under the rain but, as mentioned, this helps diseases (moulds, mildew, virii, etc) take hold so in general it's best avoided if at all possible.

Depends on the plant.

Leaves absorb water, too, fwiw.

Just use an automated irrigation controller with misters.

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