watering question

DoubleJ · June 19, 2009

OK, when they were seedlings, I'd wait for them to droop before watering. Now that they're 3' tall, how do I know when to water? Same method? Once a week regardless? And how much?

WVTomatoMan · June 19, 2009

Actually you want to water them before they start to wilt. This may sound like a smart aleck answer, but you want to water them when they need watering. There have been years that I only watered 2 or 3 times for the whole year. There have been times when I watered twice a week. If the surface is wet you know you don't need to water. If it has been hot and dry and the ground is dry more than a few inches down you probably need to water. Water the roots. Do not water from above because getting the foliage wet in this manner promotes foliage diseases.

You'll get a feel for it after a while.

Good luck.

Randy

DoubleJ · June 19, 2009

I have a drip system installed for them. Just didn't know when/how much to give them. Drippers are 1/2 gl/hr rate.

farmall · June 19, 2009

Take a hoe and and loosen the ground about 4 to 6 inches down, then grab a handfull of loose dirt, and try to roll it into a ball. If you can not form a ball or falls apart easily you should need to water. watering rate should be equivilent to a 1/2 inch of rain.

dice · June 20, 2009

I have not needed to water at all yet, except in one bed that
drains really quickly. It always dries out in about 3 days in
dry, warm weather. For the rest of them, I have been checking
with a moisture meter, and they have not moved out of the
wet range yet at the upper end of the scale at the maximum
depth of the meter (about 8 inches down), despite our near
record 28 days without rain (lots of clay in those soils).

The drip system is a good idea, it saves a lot of water over other
methods, but if your soil is much like most of mine, we simply
have not needed it yet.

The test suggested by farmall is a good idea if you lack a
moisture meter.

jwr6404 · June 20, 2009

JJ

We have the same climate with possible some minor differences.The 13 Tomatoes I have in the ground have only been watered twice. Like dice I use a moisture meter. The 10 Tomatoes I have in Pots have needed watering 3 times per week.

DoubleJ · June 20, 2009

Anything special about those moisture meters or can I just get a $5 one from Walmart?

maricybele · June 20, 2009

Our community garden has a sprinkler system, and the tomatoes aren't too happy about it. If sprinkling must be done, what would the suggestion be for time of morning, how long to run, and how often for mixed veggies?

dice · June 20, 2009

That should do it. I think mine pre-dates Walmart's expansion
into the Pacific NW (brand is "HoldAll"), so they have pretty
good longevity.

June 19, 2009	#1
DoubleJ Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Shelton, WA Posts: 127	watering question OK, when they were seedlings, I'd wait for them to droop before watering. Now that they're 3' tall, how do I know when to water? Same method? Once a week regardless? And how much?

June 20, 2009	#5
dice Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: PNW Posts: 4,743	I have not needed to water at all yet, except in one bed that drains really quickly. It always dries out in about 3 days in dry, warm weather. For the rest of them, I have been checking with a moisture meter, and they have not moved out of the wet range yet at the upper end of the scale at the maximum depth of the meter (about 8 inches down), despite our near record 28 days without rain (lots of clay in those soils). The drip system is a good idea, it saves a lot of water over other methods, but if your soil is much like most of mine, we simply have not needed it yet. The test suggested by farmall is a good idea if you lack a moisture meter. __________________ -- alias

June 20, 2009	#6
jwr6404 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: University Place, WA Posts: 481	JJ We have the same climate with possible some minor differences.The 13 Tomatoes I have in the ground have only been watered twice. Like dice I use a moisture meter. The 10 Tomatoes I have in Pots have needed watering 3 times per week. __________________ Jim

June 20, 2009	#9
dice Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: PNW Posts: 4,743	That should do it. I think mine pre-dates Walmart's expansion into the Pacific NW (brand is "HoldAll"), so they have pretty good longevity. __________________ -- alias

June 19, 2009	#2
WVTomatoMan Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: West Virginia - Zone 6 Posts: 594	Actually you want to water them before they start to wilt. This may sound like a smart aleck answer, but you want to water them when they need watering. There have been years that I only watered 2 or 3 times for the whole year. There have been times when I watered twice a week. If the surface is wet you know you don't need to water. If it has been hot and dry and the ground is dry more than a few inches down you probably need to water. Water the roots. Do not water from above because getting the foliage wet in this manner promotes foliage diseases. You'll get a feel for it after a while. Good luck. Randy

June 19, 2009	#4
farmall Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Northwest Ohio Posts: 64	Take a hoe and and loosen the ground about 4 to 6 inches down, then grab a handfull of loose dirt, and try to roll it into a ball. If you can not form a ball or falls apart easily you should need to water. watering rate should be equivilent to a 1/2 inch of rain.

June 20, 2009	#8
maricybele Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Oregon zone 8 Posts: 99	Our community garden has a sprinkler system, and the tomatoes aren't too happy about it. If sprinkling must be done, what would the suggestion be for time of morning, how long to run, and how often for mixed veggies?