tedln
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How to water tomatoes to acheive the best taste.

I grow entirely in raised beds and water the soil, not the plants; with an automatic timer which I set according to seasonal needs. My goal has always been to maintain the moisture in a bed well enough that the tomato plants don't become soft and droopy in the hottest part of the day recovering only in the coolness of evening.

I've noticed many gardeners depend entirely on rain for their gardens and their tomato plants look pretty sad, but the fruit on the vines is great.

What is the best way to judge how much water to give your tomatoes?

Ted

GardenJester
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Joined: Thu Mar 18, 2010 9:59 pm

you use a soaker hose to water your tomato?

I seen one of those red tomatoe trays at H&G stores, it gurantees "perfect" watering just by filling the tray once a week. Have anyone tried it? does it do what it advertise?

tedln
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GardenJester wrote:you use a soaker hose to water your tomato?

I seen one of those red tomatoe trays at H&G stores, it gurantees "perfect" watering just by filling the tray once a week. Have anyone tried it? does it do what it advertise?
Most soaker hoses are rated to emit a given amount of water per foot of length of the hose at 60 psi pressure. I cut the hose to the length I want, attach new fittings to the hose, and regulate the amount of water emitted by the amount of time I set the timer for.

I don't want my beds to dry out to much because it will cause stress which causes blossom drop. I also cut back on my water when fruit starts ripening to prevent fruit cracking. It also seems to speed up ripening.

Ted

SarahSarah
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Location: East Bay, CA

I lightly water my tomatoes daily. Just enough to wet the soil. I do this early in the day and by night, the soil is dry.

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gixxerific
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This won't help much, but again it's all about feel to me. I can usually tell if they need water, there is always the finger test. If it's dry down below an inch water it.

Though watering the soil is the best way I feel.

But I'm the anarchist gardner here I do things differently to a certain extent.

cynthia_h
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I don't do it myself, mostly b/c with 96 sq. ft. of veggie garden, it's impractical. But dry farming ( https://agwaterstewards.org/txp/Resource-Center-Articles/22/dry-farming ) is said to intensify the flavor of many types of produce, including tomatoes.

One of the CSAs within an hour or two of my house touts its "dry-farmed tomatoes" on its website, so clearly there's a market for them. :) I haven't tried them, not wanting to develop yet another expensive food habit! :lol:

But maybe this technique will come in handy where you live? Are you more towards Amarillo (dry, I think) or DFW (wet, according to my aunt and uncle)?

Cynthia H.
Sunset Zone 17, USDA Zone 9

SarahSarah
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Joined: Thu Jul 02, 2009 3:14 pm
Location: East Bay, CA

cynthia_h wrote:I don't do it myself, mostly b/c with 96 sq. ft. of veggie garden, it's impractical. But dry farming ( https://agwaterstewards.org/txp/Resource-Center-Articles/22/dry-farming ) is said to intensify the flavor of many types of produce, including tomatoes.

One of the CSAs within an hour or two of my house touts its "dry-farmed tomatoes" on its website, so clearly there's a market for them. :) I haven't tried them, not wanting to develop yet another expensive food habit! :lol:

But maybe this technique will come in handy where you live? Are you more towards Amarillo (dry, I think) or DFW (wet, according to my aunt and uncle)?

Cynthia H.
Sunset Zone 17, USDA Zone 9
Are you talking about Dirty Girl Farm? Their tomatoes are DELICIOUS. Be warned. (I'm also in the east bay :-) )

Dry farming sounds cool, but it is too humid in my town I think.

tedln
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Joined: Thu Jun 25, 2009 6:06 pm
Location: North Texas

cynthia_h wrote:I don't do it myself, mostly b/c with 96 sq. ft. of veggie garden, it's impractical. But dry farming ( https://agwaterstewards.org/txp/Resource-Center-Articles/22/dry-farming ) is said to intensify the flavor of many types of produce, including tomatoes.

One of the CSAs within an hour or two of my house touts its "dry-farmed tomatoes" on its website, so clearly there's a market for them. :) I haven't tried them, not wanting to develop yet another expensive food habit! :lol:

But maybe this technique will come in handy where you live? Are you more towards Amarillo (dry, I think) or DFW (wet, according to my aunt and uncle)?

Cynthia H.
Sunset Zone 17, USDA Zone 9
Cynthia,

Born and raised in Amarillo, but about 60 miles north of Dallas now. Totally different climates between Amarillo and Dallas. I would like to try the dry technique, but I simply don't think the tomato plants would survive the intense heat of mid summer in this area without supplemental water. What I am trying to determine is how much a large plant needs while it is still blooming and has small fruit on the vine without causing it to drop fruit or blooms in order to survive. I want to intensify the flavor without ruining or killing the plant.

I read your question again and realized I didn't really answer it.

Amarillo has about three months of relatively dry weather in the middle of summer. The soil however does not dry out past about 6" deep. If you get your tomato plants started early, the root structure develops which allows it to grow all summer without additional water. The average temps are much lower than further south. The air remains dry helping to prevent most plant fungus growth.

The Dallas area typically has a two month period in mid summer that often drys the soil up to two feet deep. The heat is very intense with little night time cooling. Humidity from the Gulf of Mexico blankets the area promoting fungal plant growth.

Ted



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