Tomato plants prefer consistency in water supply. This applies to the crowd as well as to the time of day. Even the method you use to water plays an important role. With the following recommendations you have the topic under control.

Watering tomatoes in the bed - the weather is swinging the baton

It would be so easy to water tomato plants on a fixed schedule of hours and amounts. Of course, a central variable in the cultivation of tomatoes does not play a role here. The weather ultimately defines when and how much water is required. In order to harvest healthy and magnificent fruit in the bed, the focus is on the following specifications:

  • Water thoroughly for the first 3 days after planting
  • then give an average of 0.5 liters of water per plant daily
  • Before each watering, check with a thumb test whether the substrate has dried 1-2 centimeters deep
  • after fruit set, increase the amount of water to 150-300 milliliters per tomato fruit
  • the temperatures, the intensity of the sun and the exposure to the wind are decisive

As much as tomato plants like to spread their deep roots in fresh, moist soil, they loathe wet flowers and leaves. So always water directly on the ground. A mulch layer of straw or nettles prevents splashing water. In addition, remove the tomato leaves at the bottom.

This is how the water supply in the greenhouse is right

Since there is no natural rainfall in the greenhouse, irrigation can be controlled even more specifically here. The current temperatures, lighting conditions and soil conditions must be taken into account. You can use the thumb test to determine the water requirements of your tomato plants. The soil should also be allowed to dry in the greenhouse before you water the next time. Otherwise, similar requirements apply as in the field.

The water bottle trick

The more evenly you water, the lower the risk of bursting tomato skins. Within the sheltered conditions of the greenhouse, you can optimize the water supply with a simple trick: cut off the bottom of a PET bottle. Put this upside down next to a tomato plant to fill up the water in the bottle every day.

Pour in buckets - avoid deadly waterlogging

Tomato plants in tubs require special finesse when watering. On the one hand, the entire root ball should be moistened, on the other hand, waterlogging must be avoided at all costs. The thumb test alone does not help here. This is how you can see how the tomato roots are doing:

  • do not create a bottom opening in the pot
  • drill a hole on the side instead
  • this is closed with a conically ground dowel

By pulling out the dowel, the moisture content in the root area can be determined. Any accumulated water can simply be drained off through the side opening.

tips and tricks

Simply leave the shoots on the ground after they have been pinched. Here they not only serve as a useful mulch material, but also release valuable nutrients to the roots. At the same time, the parts of the plant serve as an effective defense against pests.

Category:

Vegetable garden