General discussion regarding the techniques and methods used to successfully grow tomato plants in containers.
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July 13, 2007 | #1 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: chicago
Posts: 1
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watering in containers
i live in chicago. it is hard to judge when and how much to water because we have temps that change from 75 to 92 in matter of a day, then right back to 75. i know the rule one inch per week. my tomatoes are in 8 gallons containers.
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July 13, 2007 | #2 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: May 2007
Location: NE Ohio
Posts: 610
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First timer trying to grow tomatoes in pots, so I am no expert. I'm trying to salvage a Brandywine where the main stem cracked and another Brandywine where a branch split from the stem. I put each into 5 gallon pots. The way I water is I took a 1 gallon plastic milk jug and punched 6 tiny little holes in the bottom, fill the jug and place right in the pots, a poor mans drip irrigation system. The frequency is based on the weather, if it's really hot, almost everyday, if a little cooler probably 3-4 times a week. I can monitor the amount of water it needs because it starts flowing out of the bottom tray.
By the, I'm watering the tomatoes in the ground the same way, but I place 3-4 jugs around each plant, a couple times a week, this way I know they are being deeply watered. |
July 16, 2007 | #3 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Warm Springs, GA
Posts: 1,421
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I have almost all my tomatoes in containers. I water sometimes twice a day in the summer and 3 times a day when they are putting on fruit in late Spring. This year was my biggest production year. I actually had more time to water as my children are no longer toddlers
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July 16, 2007 | #4 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: SW Ohio
Posts: 1,278
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I use a water dip stick with inch measurements on it that I stick down into the water pipe. But soon you can judge which ones need water by how heavy the growth is. Those with heavy growth need water every day.
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July 17, 2007 | #5 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: NJ Bayshore
Posts: 3,848
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I can say for all my pots that watering at least every other day is nec. -
The Ind. plants drink a lot of water than the dwarves but I use my finger to test how wet the soil is ... ~ Tom
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July 17, 2007 | #6 | |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: NY
Posts: 2,618
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Quote:
You got it wrong. That's not what they mean by "digital" moisture testing. dcarch
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tomatomatomatomatomatomatomatomatomatomatomatomato matomato tomatomatomatomatomatomatomatomatomatomatomatomato matomato tomatomatomatomatomatomatomatomatomatomatomatomato matomato |
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July 17, 2007 | #7 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Zone 5/6 New Jersey
Posts: 122
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For what it's worth, here's what we did this year:
Put in a drip irrigation system. Bought a $12 moisture meter. http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/w...2779_200332779 We have twelve container tomatoes and 2-25' x 6' raised beds for tomatoes. Two of the container tomatoes were our guinea pigs. We'd water those when they "looked dry" or "felt dry" - and no cheating by using the moisture meter. The rest we watered based on the readings from the moisture meter. Surprisingly (or maybe not?), every tomato (so far) in the two "look and feel" buckets has BER - one is a Sioux and one a Kalman's Hungarian Pink. Very wild swings in WAY too wet to WAY too dry. Not a sign of it in any of the others (and very little splitting of even the cherry tomatoes). But, there was not much rhyme or reason to how much to water (like an inch a week, water an hour every other day, etc.) We just have to check it every morning (part of the ritual - get coffee, walk up to garden, test soil moisture, turn on water or not, snack on fresh veggies, decide what to pick for dinner, etc.) Also, we came pretty close to losing our eggplant crop last year to oedema (too much water). We were overwatering based on how the top couple of inches of soil felt. This year, we will probably have enough eggplant from eight plants to feed a small country. |
July 18, 2007 | #8 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Germany 49°26"N 07°36"E
Posts: 5,041
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I find it hard to believe you can overwater plants in containers unless you are intentionally trying to do so or they do not have good drainage. I have 10 plants out in the open in containers and had intermittent rain for three weeks straight with no problems. One of those is Sungold and now it is spitting out tomatoes with no sign of cracking which it is notorious for when it gets wet feet. But then again I treated my plants with Actinovate and Mycorhizae when I planted them in the containers initially. Ami
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July 23, 2007 | #9 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Ireland
Posts: 150
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Ami, could you tell me what is Actinovate and Mycorhizae. I plqant a lot of my toms in containers and would be interested to know more about these .
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Blatanna |
July 24, 2007 | #10 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Germany 49°26"N 07°36"E
Posts: 5,041
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blatanna, be glad to. Here is a couple links. Ami
http://www.fungi.com/mycogrow/index.html http://www.tomatoville.com/showthread.php?t=5456
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Life's journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out, shouting ‘...Holy Crap .....What a ride!' |
August 1, 2007 | #11 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: SW Ohio
Posts: 1,278
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I'm puzzled by the fact that the plants in earth boxes takes so much water when they're grown to full size, like several gallons a day. So where do they get all this water when planted in the soil? We're lucky if we get an inch of rain a week in summer, then if not, water a few gallons per plant per week. If seems odd that they require so much water in EBs.
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"Seriously think about what you're about to do/say before you do it and the outcome will always be better." Earl |
August 2, 2007 | #12 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Den of Drunken Fools
Posts: 38,539
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Heat on the sides of the containers help evaporate the water.
Capillary action in the soil brings up moisture from deep within the ground. This is why it is necessary to not have a dry spot in-between the deeper moisture and surface moisture. Thusly water well when you do water. There is a lot of water evaporated from the garden and the plant will use some of this water. In a container you can tell just how much it will use. I like to keep my soil moist at least 2 feet down; it helps a lot in hot dry weather. Odd ball thinking but it has always been a good line of thought for me to follow. Worth |
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