Content
- 1 Basic rules for watering tomatoes
- 2 Hand watering tomato seedlings in a greenhouse
- 3 Mechanical watering of tomatoes in a greenhouse
- 4 Watering tomatoes in open ground
- 5 Construction of a drip irrigation system in a greenhouse
- 6 How often should you water tomatoes?
- 7 How to determine lack or excess of water
- 8 Basics of high-quality watering of tomatoes
- 9 Conclusion
The productivity of tomatoes primarily depends on watering. Without enough moisture, the bushes simply will not be able to grow and bear fruit. It’s good that now that any information can be found on the Internet, we no longer need to learn from our own mistakes. It is better to listen to experienced gardeners who have extensive experience in this matter. In this article we will learn the basic rules for watering tomatoes, as well as some features and methods that will make this much easier. We will also see how tomatoes are watered after planting in open ground and in a greenhouse.
Basic rules for watering tomatoes
Water is very important for tomato seedlings. It is thanks to it that tomatoes receive the nutrients they need for growth. Improper watering can harm plants or even kill them. So you need to figure out how often you need water the tomatoes, and what features of seedlings should be taken into account.
To check the amount of moisture you do not need any complex devices. It is enough to simply take a lump of soil from the bed at a depth of about 10 cm. The lump should form easily and also easily disintegrate when pressed. If the soil is too crumbly or very dense, you need to reconsider the frequency of watering and accordingly reduce or increase the amount of water.
Water is essential for all living things and plants. Without it, nothing living could simply exist. When caring for tomatoes, you need to take into account the age of the seedlings, as well as the characteristics of the soil. In this case, you must follow some rules:
- Overwatering can cause the soil to become too compact. Stagnant water also threatens to increase soil acidity.
- The amount of water must be calculated so that it lasts until the evening of the next day. It is better to water the plant again later as needed than to pour too much at once.
- You can determine when it is time to water the seedlings by looking at the surface of the soil around the plants. If it is darker than the soil in the garden bed, then there is enough moisture for now. If it is completely dry and the soil has become a uniform color, then it is time to water the tomatoes.
- Within a day, the soil should dry completely. If this does not happen, and the soil near the tomatoes is wet and dense, then the amount of water for irrigation must be reduced.
In order for tomatoes to feel comfortable after planting in the ground, you need to strictly follow the watering rules. But at the same time, they may differ depending on where and how the tomato seedlings grew. Therefore, when buying young seedlings, you should ask the seller about the conditions under which they were grown.For those who prepare tomato seedlings themselves, it will be easier for them to choose the right care for the sprouts. Seedlings that grew in a warm room or greenhouse need hardening. To do this, boxes with tomatoes are taken outside before planting so that they can get used to the wind and direct sunlight.
The amount and abundance of watering directly depends on the following factors:
- quality of seedlings;
- physical characteristics of the soil;
- weather.
Unhardened tomato seedlings will need shading for the first time after planting. Such sprouts require less moisture since they are not exposed to the scorching sun. After transplanting into open ground, hardened seedlings are watered once a day. One tomato bush will need approximately 2-3 liters of water. The best time for watering is morning. In this case, before the heat sets in, the plant will receive the necessary nutrients and will be able to cope with the high temperature. If the soil is completely dry by evening, the plants can be watered again; now one sprout will only need 1–2 liters of water.
Hand watering tomato seedlings in a greenhouse
This watering method is used most often than all others, as it is the simplest and most economical. It does not require special tanks or wells to collect water on the site. All that is needed to carry out such watering is a simple improvised device and your own hands.
The following devices are used as tools:
- bucket;
- watering can;
- plastic bottles;
- large container with watering can.
The easiest way to water tomatoes is with a watering can. In this case, moisture enters the soil according to the principle of rain irrigation. Thanks to this, water is evenly distributed over the surface of the earth. Such watering is done quickly and does not require large financial costs.
The method of watering tomatoes using a bucket is completely different. In this case, to distribute the water evenly, it is necessary to make furrows on both sides of the row. Then the required amount of water is poured into these furrows. With loose and fertile soil, moisture will easily flow to the roots of the plants. The disadvantage of this method is that it can be difficult to calculate the required amount of water for irrigation. Too loose soil can instantly absorb liquid, while in denser soil water can stagnate.
To manually water a tomato, you will have to ensure constant access of water to the site. To do this, you can place a large container near the garden and connect a hose to it. This way, you can pump water every time as needed. Some gardeners attach another hose to the container, with which they can drip irrigate the beds.
It is also very convenient to water tomato seedlings using plastic bottles. Surely everyone can find them at home. So, near each bush they bury a bottle, bottom down. Before this, the bottom of the container must be cut off. Water is poured into the bottle through the hole, which then distributes itself.The advantage of this watering method is that the moisture goes directly to the roots and is not spent on moistening the top layer of soil.
Mechanical watering of tomatoes in a greenhouse
Mechanical and manual watering methods are very similar in principle. True, to create a mechanical system you will need a larger number of different devices. But, having once made such a structure, you won’t have to worry about watering the seedlings for a long time.
To create such a system you will need:
- Plastic pipes and hose.
- Drippers of any type of irrigation.
- Source for water supply. This could be a water supply pipe or a regular well.
- Equipment for pumping water.
- Electric Energy.
- Deep container or reservoir.
The first step to creating a mechanical watering system for tomatoes is to install a pump to pump out water. A person without experience in this area is unlikely to cope with the installation, so it is better to contact a specialist. Then the work will be completed according to the instructions, and in the future there will be no problems with watering. Pumping equipment is turned on and off by a special remote control, which can be located directly on the pump itself or in your home. This directly depends on the type of pump itself and the method of its installation.
Then the pipes from the pump are laid to the reservoir. If the power suddenly goes out, you can water from this tank manually or with a hose. After this, the pipes are placed in the greenhouse itself. Some install from above to irrigate the soil more evenly. Others place pipes on the surface of the soil.You can also deepen them into the soil using drip irrigation.
They are no less strong than metal ones, and at the same time much easier to work with. This material is easier to cut and fasten.
Taps should be installed on each pipe. Thanks to them, it will be possible to regulate the water supply. The taps will reduce the high pressure, and the plants will not be harmed during irrigation. And if a pipe suddenly breaks down, it can be closed. Then the system as a whole, as well as the plants themselves, will not suffer. It will take a lot of time and effort to prepare such a system for watering tomatoes. You will also have to use expensive equipment and materials. But this is a great way for those who have large greenhouses with a huge number of plants. This device will save a lot of time and effort in the future care of tomatoes.
Watering tomatoes in open ground
Watering tomatoes after planting in the ground must be regular. Too much or too little moisture can harm plants. The first time after planting, it is recommended to water the tomatoes abundantly, but not very often. Frequent watering can lower the soil temperature, causing the fruits to take a while to set.
Some people mistakenly believe that after planting tomatoes need to be watered very often. In fact, this is exactly what you don’t need to do. Before taking the tomato seedlings out of the containers and planting them in open ground, they were already watered very generously. The next watering is carried out immediately after planting.This moisture will be enough for the plant to take root in the garden.
After the seedlings have taken root, watering is carried out as the tomato grows:
- it is very important to keep the soil moist during the formation of ovaries;
- after the flowers appear and before the first fruits appear, watering is slightly reduced;
- in cloudy weather, watering can be done at any time of the day, and on hot days only in the morning and evening. In the scorching sun, the moisture will quickly evaporate.
Therefore, you only need to water the row spaces. Due to water getting on the leaves and stems, seedlings can simply “cook” in hot weather.
Construction of a drip irrigation system in a greenhouse
The irrigation system in a greenhouse must be not only efficient, but also economical. This is exactly what drip irrigation is. The advantage of this method is that the watering process is completely automated and does not require much effort on your part. Drip irrigation will also protect tomato seedlings from late blight. And as you know, this is the most common disease in tomatoes.
Building such an irrigation system is not at all difficult. The pipes are installed according to the principle of a conventional mechanical irrigation system. In this case, water will flow to the plants through a special drip-type hose. All these hoses are connected to a water source. Drip tapes or hoses must be placed at a distance equal to the width of the row of tomatoes. If these are tall tomatoes, then the row spacing will be 1 meter, and if they are low-growing, then 40–50 cm.
This system carries out dosed watering of tomatoes. Moisture reaches the plants through special holes in the drip tape.If you place the hoses correctly, the water will penetrate directly to the roots of the tomatoes. Some people bury the tape 4–5 cm into the soil. In this case, you can be sure that the upper part of the plants will not get wet. To 100% protect the leaves from irrigation, you should turn the drip tape with the holes facing down.
And this disease, as is known, can be caused by moisture on the upper part of the plant.
The system is installed immediately before planting tomato seeds or seedlings. First, a test run of the drippers is carried out, and only after that the hoses can be buried in the soil. A test run is also carried out so that it can be seen where the holes are, since it is in these places that we plant tomato seedlings.
If you are going to deepen the hoses, then before installation, make furrows in the ground into which you will bury the system. Next, check the hoses and plant the plants. And after that you can fill the furrows with earth. Any sealed barrel or box can be used as a watering container. A large plastic container will also work. Some, in general, do without a container and connect the system directly to the water tap.
Advantages of a drip irrigation system
Many gardeners use drip irrigation on their plots. This popularity of this method is due to several advantages:
- Economical water consumption. The liquid goes directly to the roots of the plants.
- Does not require physical effort. Watering is carried out automatically. All that is required of a person is to make the system itself and turn it on from time to time. You can even make the device fully automated. To do this, install a special timer that will count down the time and begin supplying water to the tomatoes.
- Tomatoes do not suffer from late blight. Usually, when growing tomatoes, gardeners have to spend money on preventive measures against this disease. It can appear on wet parts of plants and spread quickly. Thanks to the supply of water to the roots, the stems do not get wet, and therefore the tomatoes do not suffer from late blight. Thus, healthy plants will produce a more generous harvest. And at the same time, the vegetables will be environmentally friendly, since no chemicals were used to grow them.
- Simplified feeding process. If you are going to add any nutrient mixture to tomatoes, it is not necessary to water each plant separately. Fertilizer can simply be added to the container for supplying water to the greenhouse. Then the fertilizer will be delivered through hoses to each tomato bush.
How often should you water tomatoes?
To get a good harvest, you need to know how often to water your tomatoes after planting. It is with water that plants absorb all the necessary nutrients. When the soil is saturated with moisture up to 90%, the tomatoes will receive all the essential substances, and as a result, you can expect rapid growth and high-quality fruits.
One tomato bush can require half or even a whole bucket of liquid, depending on the size of the container and the needs of the soil. The water should not be warm. It is best if the soil and water temperatures are the same.
Some gardeners place a container for liquid directly in the greenhouse. Please remember that this may result in increased air humidity. It would be better to use a drip irrigation system. If this is not possible, then the barrel of water should be covered with polyethylene.
It happens that moisture stagnates due to the density of the soil. In this case, the soil must be pierced with a pitchfork in several places. After watering the tomatoes, you should immediately ventilate the greenhouse. If you use a mechanical irrigation system for tomatoes, you can set a timer to automatically water the plants.
How to determine lack or excess of water
Both excess and lack of liquid can negatively affect tomato yield. You can determine when to water tomatoes by looking at the leaves. If they curl into a boat, this is a clear sign of lack of fluid. To remedy the situation, loosen and water the soil around the tomato. To keep moisture in the soil longer, you can mulch the soil with sawdust, hay or leaves.
Excess moisture is clearly indicated by cracks on the stem and fruit. Such manifestations will undoubtedly affect the quality and taste of the tomato. The roots of the plant also suffer from excessive watering. To make the supply of moisture more uniform, you should use the drip irrigation method.
Basics of high-quality watering of tomatoes
In order for watering to be correct, you must follow some rules:
- Water for irrigation should be neither cold nor hot. This can be stressful for the tomatoes. You can place the container in the greenhouse itself, then the water temperature will be the same as the air temperature in the room;
- You cannot water very often. The root system of tomatoes goes deep into the soil, thanks to which they easily find moisture even when it seems that the soil is already completely dry. The best time to water planted tomato seedlings is in the evening;
- When watering tomatoes, you should not spray the plants themselves. Only the roots of the bushes need water. To make watering more convenient, you can make indentations around the plants. By pouring water into these holes, there is a greater chance that the plants will not get wet;
- The normal volume of liquid for one tomato is from 5 to 10 liters. To ensure that moisture remains in the soil longer and does not evaporate, many gardeners mulch the soil. In this case, watering the tomatoes can be reduced;
- From time to time, watering should be alternated with fertilizing. For this you can use both organic and mineral fertilizers. For example, chicken manure is a great choice for organic tomatoes. This type of watering has a very positive effect on the growth of tomatoes. You can also use a variety of granular fertilizers. They are applied to the soil before watering, mixed with soil or mulch. The moisture then dissolves the granules and they go directly to the roots of the tomato.
Conclusion
Progress does not stand still. If previously everyone watered tomatoes using a bucket and watering can, today the variety of watering methods is simply amazing.Each gardener can choose the method of watering tomatoes that is most suitable for his plot. Modern irrigation systems can completely or partially eliminate manual labor. This greatly simplifies the task and guarantees a bountiful harvest.
