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The importance of the how and when of watering tomato plants is high if getting a good yield of tomatoes for your efforts is your goal. It is second only to where you plant your tomatoes as a determining factor of how successful you are. There are a few creative ways of watering tomato plants and some diverse views on waters effect on the flavor of tomatoes.
Tomatoes require a lot of water but they are rather finicky as to how they will take it. Watering tomato plants with overhead sprinkling systems is one of the most common mistakes made. Overhead watering promotes diseases and pest infestations while failing to deliver the moisture to the roots where it is needed. Delivering water directly to the roots without wetting the leaves and fruit is your goal. Use of some method of drip system is the most commonly recommended solution for watering tomato plants. The form of the drip method takes is up to you. It can be as simple as burying a one gallon plastic milk container, modified with a few holes punched in the bottom, near the newly planted tomato plant. Fill the container with water, and recap the container. The measured amount of water slowly seeps out directly to the plants roots. The more modern solutions involve plastic tubing run to each plant and a timer set to deliver water to the base of the plant for a set amount of time. Both systems accomplish the same goal – watering the tomato plants without wetting the leaves or fruit.
Determining when to water is the challenge! Over watered tomatoes don't ripen as quickly because the ground is moist and cool. The vegetation is lush but the fruit are few. Not watering tomato plants often enough or watering erratically results in blossom end rot. Several 'rules of thumb’ exist. One calls for testing the soils dampness one inch below the surface and another calls for flood irrigating once a week in the spring and twice a week in the summer. Watering tomato plants in containers needs to be done more often than those in the ground as they dry out quicker.
Another approach is dry farming tomatoes. This method calls for removing all the leaves on the tomato plant and planting it in a field of cover crop, like vetch, up to the top set of leaves by just loosening enough soil to plant the tomato. Watering the tomato plants is done once, thoroughly, and then they are left to grow in a sprawling manner until the fruit is ready to pick. The only time additional watering is done is if the plants are seen drooping.
There are many ideas about what is best when it comes to watering tomato plants. Some people enjoy hand watering their plants while others prefer the set it and forget it method. Great tomatoes have resulted from all the different routines of watering tomato plants. The bottom line is the right way is the way that works for you and your lifestyle.
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Author Bio Box: Patricia Wainwright
Get all the facts about vegetable gardening and organic gardening at GreenThumbArticles.com!
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