Watering Tomatoes

[Daphne]

Is it bad to use a sprinkler to water your tomatoes? I've done it in the past but now I'm being told not to top water them. Should I be using a different method...like a soaker hose or water at the base with a hose?

[opabinia51]

Yes, you can run into trouble if you top water you plants, I haven't run into it myself but, it's a possibility.

A soaker hose would work just fine.

Happy Gardening

[atascosa_tx]

I too have used a sprinkler in the past...early in the morning so less evaporation and gave the leaves time to dry off before the noon sun..I had no probs..but after my neighbor who was doing the same thing started to develop some fungal diseases on his plants, I started using seeper hoses.
Gilmour is what they are I think. They are the flat nylon type and work great.
Keeps the leaves dry and just waters the base....I run them once a week for about an hour = about 1" of rain..when it starts to get hot, I'll let the plants let me know when they need water.

NOTE: you can still use one of those hand held fertilizer sprayers to feed the plants via foliar..just do it early in the morning and NEVER in the afternoon when the sun is high..

Happy Gardening

[Daphne]

Thanks for the info. I need a new garden hose anyway so I might as well add a seeper/soaker hose to my list.

[opabinia51]

Won't hurt anything, have fun!

[Daphne]

Hope I haven't jumped the gun here but I planted my tomato plants yesterday evening! I just couldn't wait any longer. I got the garden tilled up after adding some composted manure and it was just begging to be worked in. I would have stayed out there longer but it got dark! LOL!

[opabinia51]

I know the feeling! I was working in a garden to 8:15 the other night and until 6 last night. Just can't seem to pull myself away.


Your tomatoes should be okay, I often leave some of the fallen fruits in the ground and end up with freebees in the spring that I thin out. Anyway, they seem to weather the frost just fine.

[damethod]

I top water my vegetables, tomatos, and herbs during the early morning or evening hours. I have never had any problems.

[Reptilicus]

I have soaker hoses but I've been top watering so far. I've gotten ( as usual ) disorganized in my planting so I can't run soakers. I water later at nite as teh sun sets. So far so good... I have a few golf ball size tomatoes.