How & When To Water Your Tomatoes
Just like any other crop in your vegetable garden, the question that usually comes in our mind are, “when to water the tomatoes?” and “how much water our tomato plants needed?” Here are some quick summary that details how someone can tell when the tomatoes need water, and a couple of ideas about the proper way of watering these plants easily.
When growing tomatoes in your garden, providing sufficient water supply is very crucial. This is very important so that your plants will grow to be healthy. Watering thoroughly will encourage its roots in absorbing adequate water and nutrients that are found on the deeper part of the soil.
An extensive deep root system will hold these plants up better especially on dry season. When watering, always soak the soil to a depth of at least 15-20 cm, or about 6-8 inches.
Just water your plants only when they needed it. Although tomatoes like moisture, over watering them is very harmful. You’re not just wasting your water supply, but you’re also causing the soil to be soggy that prevents its roots from getting enough air that they need.
If your plants may appear to be wilting on a hot sunny afternoon, then that’s just normal. They will soon perk up overnight. However, if your plants are wilted in the morning, then that’s another story. You must water them right away! But you also have to bear in mind that certain diseases may also cause these plants to wilt.
If there’s not enough rain, those light and sandy soil have to be soaked thoroughly for every four to five days. While those heavy soil has to be soaked in every seven to ten days. That is the proper way of irrigating, especially on times that rains are not frequent.
Water your plants early to cut down on evaporation losses and this is also to give your plants ample time of drying out. Wetting its foliage overnight may cause some diseases to trigger.
Furrow irrigation, drip irrigation or soaker hoses, all deliver sufficient water supply towards the soil surface. Though your plants may be watered at almost anytime, you have to evade from watering at midday though, because that’s the time when evaporation losses are on its highest.
Trickle irrigation is considered as the type of irrigation that is easily controlled. Though the equipment used in this type of irrigation is very expensive, it will definitely save your time. This equipment just needs to be scheduled to deliver a steady supply of water, which helps to lessen the incidence of fruit cracking.
Lastly, use mulch to reduce the evaporation, improve water spread and prevent disease that are caused by the rain and water splash.