hardland
Senior Member
Posts: 248
Joined: Tue Apr 06, 2010 11:05 am
Location: Sth Florida

How many gallons is an inch of rain?

I'm trying to gauge how much water to give my Tomato plants. Ive heard and read that about an inch a week is correct? If my pots are 13 inches round, then I believe that equates to about 41 sq inches? 13 x 3.142. Does that mean I only need to give 41 cubic inches of water to my plants per week? if there's 230 cubic inches in a gallon, then does that mean only a fifth of a gallon a week? I'm confused, right now I'm giving each plant a daily shot of about 1/4 gallon.

gumbo2176
Super Green Thumb
Posts: 3065
Joined: Mon Jul 19, 2010 2:01 am
Location: New Orleans

You're putting way too much thought into this. Simply look at the plants to see if they are vibrant. If they start to look like they are wilting, water them. In my climate, 1 inch of water a week will not keep a tomato plant alive in the summer months.

hardland
Senior Member
Posts: 248
Joined: Tue Apr 06, 2010 11:05 am
Location: Sth Florida

I agree with the thought comment. The daily 1/4 gallon seems to be working OK, so I'll just stick with that for now. Thanks

gumbo2176
Super Green Thumb
Posts: 3065
Joined: Mon Jul 19, 2010 2:01 am
Location: New Orleans

hardland wrote:I agree with the thought comment. The daily 1/4 gallon seems to be working OK, so I'll just stick with that for now. Thanks
Since your plants are in pots, I find that situation warrants considerably more watering than what plants do when directly in the ground.

I don't grow my vegetables in pots but I do have quite a few house plants on my porches in pots of varying sizes and in the summer months I have to water them daily. If I miss a day or two, my plants become seriously wilted.

With our daily temperatures hovering in the low to upper 70's now, I can get by with watering the potted plants every other day.

User avatar
Richard L.
Full Member
Posts: 45
Joined: Sat Sep 17, 2011 2:27 pm
Location: San Antonio Texas

A good way to judge moisture in pots or the soil is to buy a "Moisture meter" from your local nursery. It measures the moisture in the soil, if it dry water it... if its "wet" leave it be for a day or two. I use mine a lot on flower pots.

Barncat
Newly Registered
Posts: 1
Joined: Thu Oct 27, 2011 7:36 pm
Location: Uniontown Pa.

How much water you need depends on Temp and humidity and many other factors! I am new here but have gardened for many years!

User avatar
jal_ut
Super Green Thumb
Posts: 7447
Joined: Sun Jan 18, 2009 10:20 pm
Location: Northern Utah Zone 5

Richard, welcome to the forum.

Barncat, welcome to the forum.

User avatar
Alan in Vermont
Senior Member
Posts: 105
Joined: Sun Feb 21, 2010 5:20 pm
Location: Northwest Vermont, Champlain Valley

there are 132.7 sq. inches in your 13" circle, not 42. You solved for circumference, not area. Area would be 6.5x6.5x3.1416.

gumbo2176
Super Green Thumb
Posts: 3065
Joined: Mon Jul 19, 2010 2:01 am
Location: New Orleans

Alan in Vermont wrote:there are 132.7 sq. inches in your 13" circle, not 42. You solved for circumference, not area. Area would be 6.5x6.5x3.1416.

Stop!!!! You're hurting my brain!!!! :lol: :lol: :lol:

User avatar
Alan in Vermont
Senior Member
Posts: 105
Joined: Sun Feb 21, 2010 5:20 pm
Location: Northwest Vermont, Champlain Valley

gumbo2176 wrote:
Alan in Vermont wrote:there are 132.7 sq. inches in your 13" circle, not 42. You solved for circumference, not area. Area would be 6.5x6.5x3.1416.

Stop!!!! You're hurting my brain!!!! :lol: :lol: :lol:
Exercise it more often and it won't do that.

cynthia_h
Super Green Thumb
Posts: 7500
Joined: Tue May 06, 2008 7:02 pm
Location: El Cerrito, CA

Alan in Vermont wrote:
gumbo2176 wrote:
Alan in Vermont wrote:there are 132.7 sq. inches in your 13" circle, not 42. You solved for circumference, not area. Area would be 6.5x6.5x3.1416.

Stop!!!! You're hurting my brain!!!! :lol: :lol: :lol:
Exercise it more often and it won't do that.
Go, Alan! :clap:

Cynthia H. (in another lifetime, a math teacher)
Sunset Zone 17, USDA Zone 9

gumbo2176
Super Green Thumb
Posts: 3065
Joined: Mon Jul 19, 2010 2:01 am
Location: New Orleans

Alan in Vermont wrote:
gumbo2176 wrote:
Alan in Vermont wrote:there are 132.7 sq. inches in your 13" circle, not 42. You solved for circumference, not area. Area would be 6.5x6.5x3.1416.

Stop!!!! You're hurting my brain!!!! :lol: :lol: :lol:
Exercise it more often and it won't do that.

What, I don't understand????

Just kidding. I love crossword puzzles, scrabble, trivial pursuit as well as many other word games. I also play a lot of darts and math is used in every game even though it is only multiplication, addition and subtraction.

It amazes me the number of young people that have such little grasp of simple math that is used in darts. I believe much of that comes from the use of calculators in schools instead of a pencil and paper to actually work things out.

DoubleDogFarm
Super Green Thumb
Posts: 6113
Joined: Sun Mar 28, 2010 11:43 pm

cynthia_h wrote:
Alan in Vermont wrote:
gumbo2176 wrote:
Stop!!!! You're hurting my brain!!!! :lol: :lol: :lol:
Exercise it more often and it won't do that.
Go, Alan! :clap:

Cynthia H. (in another lifetime, a math teacher)
Sunset Zone 17, USDA Zone 9
There are some studies that claim Brain Puzzles may exacerbate not hinder Alzheimer's.

Eric

Bobberman
Super Green Thumb
Posts: 2437
Joined: Mon Nov 15, 2010 10:31 pm
Location: Latrobe Pa.

Thats too bad we don't have a daily trivia game here. I did suggest it awhile ago. I have one on my forum which seems to keep my brain working even though I usually come in last! When you get older it seems you forget alot! As for the inches of water its easier to use a retangular container to figure what you need! That pie for the circle is a decimal and sometimes confusing!

gumbo2176
Super Green Thumb
Posts: 3065
Joined: Mon Jul 19, 2010 2:01 am
Location: New Orleans

DoubleDogFarm wrote:[quote
There are some studies that claim Brain Puzzles may exacerbate not hinder Alzheimer's.

Eric

Thanks, now I need to get out the dictionary to look up words. :lol: :lol: :lol:



Return to “Vegetable Gardening Forum”