How to water tomatoes outdoors

The tissues of young tomato plants contain 92-95% water. In adults, this figure is not much lower. It is water that serves as a transport for the delivery of nutrients to each cell.

Tomatoes respond to moisture deficiency with a deterioration in photosynthesis, a slowdown in growth processes, and a drop in yield. In hot weather, the evaporation of water from the surface of the plants prevents them from overheating. Proper watering of tomatoes requires compliance with some subtleties, which will be discussed.

How often do you need to water the tomatoes in the beds

How often do you need to water the tomatoes in the beds

When watering tomatoes in open ground, it is necessary to take into account weather conditions: air temperature, amount of precipitation. Tomatoes are able to absorb a small part of the moisture from the atmosphere, but the main share enters the plants through the roots, so the root watering of the crop cannot be replaced by anything.

In dry soil, tomatoes cannot fully absorb nutrients.

The yield of tomatoes directly depends on the amount of moisture received. But it is important to remember the sense of proportion, the culture does not tolerate both excess and shortage of water. With sufficient moisture, plants tolerate high temperatures more easily – by evaporating moisture through the leaves, tomatoes cool themselves. Excessive watering increases the risk of developing fungal diseases and leads to cracking of the fruit. Vegetables become watery and tasteless.

How many times

Experienced gardeners already know that tomatoes like rare but plentiful watering. If the bushes do not have enough moisture, this will be clear from their appearance. The leaves will droop and become darker in color.

It is strongly not recommended to water tomatoes often, but in small doses.

On average, experts advise adhering to this regimen:

  • in moderately warm, dry weather, tomatoes in an open garden are watered 1-2 times a week;
  • during prolonged rains, watering is completely excluded;
  • if there is heat and drought, the soil must be moistened every other day, as soon as the top layer of the earth is dried.

On a note! Watering of low-growing varieties is reduced at the stage of fruit pouring, and before picking tomatoes it is completely stopped. This rule does not apply to tall tomatoes; their watering should be uniform at all stages of plant development.    

 

How to properly water tomatoes

How to properly water tomatoes

When watering, it is necessary to take into account the needs of a particular variety, the stage of development of tomatoes, weather conditions, time of day. In addition, the water itself must be of a certain quality.

After transplanting

The frequency of watering tomatoes after planting in the garden is directly related to the quality of the seedlings. Weak seedlings that require the creation of special conditions for adaptation, at first will have to be protected with covering material. Bushes growing in shading do not evaporate moisture so intensively, therefore, they require more rare moisture.

Hardened strong seedlings are watered once a week, spending up to 1 liters of water on each plant. If the earth dries out earlier, you can moisten the soil again. Immediately after planting, the bushes do not need watering. You need to give the roots time to settle down. Until this process is completed, the root system will not be able to fully absorb moisture. Therefore, the first watering of plants is carried out in 3-1,5 weeks.

On a note! Experts recommend combining the first watering after planting seedlings in the ground with preventive treatment against phytophthora, so it is better to use a weak solution of potassium permanganate instead of water.

Water temperature

Tomatoes do not like watering with cold hard water; plants can get sick from this. It is better to use warm rainwater collected in barrels for moisturizing, or at least separated from the water supply (you can soften it by adding a little compost or manure to the barrel).

In hot weather, the water temperature should not be below 18 degrees, and if it is cool outside, then the water should be another 2-4 degrees warmer. The optimum temperature for tomatoes is 24-26 degrees.

During maturation

During maturation

When the bushes bloom, they need especially a lot of moisture, so the plants are watered once a week, adding 5 liters of water for each. Sprinkling is not used, as this will lead to shedding of flowers.

As soon as the tomatoes enter the fruiting phase, the amount of moisture introduced is reduced to 1-1,5 liters of water per bush, and the interval between waterings is halved.

Neglect of this rule can cause cracking and shedding of fruits. For tall bushes, the watering rate is increased to 10 liters.

When is the best time to water

Water tomatoes in open ground in the early morning hours or 3-4 hours before sunset.

If you apply moisture when the sun is shining actively, it will evaporate too quickly, and the plants will not get anything. In cloudy weather, you can water the tomatoes when it suits you, the watering time in this case does not play a special role.

Is it possible in the heat

Is it possible in the heat

In the heat, watering tomatoes is not only possible, but necessary. Moreover, you have to do this more often than in normal weather.

The frequency of watering is increased to 4 times a week or more, focusing on the appearance of the soil and plants.

So that the introduced moisture does not evaporate too quickly, it is recommended to mulch the earth with peat or compost. You can simply lay out the cut grass at the base of the bushes. In addition, the mulch will prevent the formation of a dense crust on the soil surface.

Watering methods

It is well known that tomatoes love watering under the root. Drops of water, falling on the leaves and stems, turn into small lenses, and the sun’s rays will cause burns. Damaged plants will become vulnerable to late blight and other fungal diseases. Each gardener chooses for himself the method of watering, which is more convenient for him.

With the help of bottles

With the help of bottles

This method is especially suitable for those who do not have the opportunity to come to their summer cottage every day.

The technique does not require special costs and is easy to perform. To implement the plan, you will need:

  • plastic bottles of suitable volume;
  • old nylon tights;
  • scissors;
  • nail.

There should be as many bottles as there are tomato bushes you have planted. Cut off the bottom of each container with scissors. Several holes are made in the lid with a hot nail, then the neck, together with the lid, is tied with nylon so that the holes made are not clogged with earth.

If the soil is light, loose, you will need to make no more than 2-3 holes in each container. When using such a system on heavy clay soil, 4-5 holes will be needed.

After that, each bottle is half dug into the ground near the tomato bush at an angle of 35-40 °. The slope should be towards the roots.

This procedure is carried out immediately after planting the seedlings in the garden, so as not to further damage the root system of plants when deepening the bottles. If the work on arranging irrigation is carried out later, the container is dug in to a shallower depth.

Now the gardener can only fill the bottles with water, which will gradually seep into the ground and water the plants. To reduce the evaporation of moisture from the containers themselves, the bottom can be cut off completely and used as a lid.

When using this method, an individual watering system is obtained for each tomato bush.

You can bury the bottles with the caps removed with the neck up. In this case, holes will have to be made in the walls and bottom of the containers. Usually they take large volume bottles (10 liters) and dig them in the middle between two bushes, and then both plants will receive water at once.

The only inconvenience of this method is that it will be inconvenient to pour water from a bucket through narrow necks. The problem is solved by using a hose or funnel.

Drip irrigation

Drip irrigation

Drip irrigation of tomatoes has several advantages at once. This:

  • minimizing labor costs;
  • preservation of the structure of the topsoil;
  • lack of high humidity due to evaporation.

Water enters directly into the soil, evenly saturating it with moisture, avoiding both waterlogging and dryness of the soil.

The drip irrigation system of industrial production “Supertif” showed itself well.

  • With its help, you can irrigate several beds at once with water.
  • Droppers are inserted into the hoses, on which even holes of the desired size are pre-made.

When installing the system, it is necessary to check the connections for strength.

Together with the Supertif installation, the manufacturer supplies special hose supports. As a result, drip irrigation can be arranged along the perimeter of the garden, ensuring the flow of water to the beds from 4 sides.

The summer resident can simply lay a hose with holes in the furrows made next to the tomatoes and irrigate by connecting the hose to the container at the right time so that the water flows by gravity.

Semi-automatic drip irrigation in the open field – video

Automatic watering system

Automatic watering system

Automatic drip irrigation systems are even more convenient in operation, they are also the most expensive. The kit includes sprinklers, external nozzles. The systems themselves can be tape, push-button, with built-in droppers.

Some craftsmen design such devices on their own, but this requires special knowledge in creating such equipment and setting it up.

Droppers can be fixed or adjustable. Using the last option, you can set the economical water consumption.

A consultant will help you choose the right system, learn about the principle of its operation and the features of the installation. The decision to purchase such expensive equipment should be made carefully.

What to water for good growth

You can water tomatoes not only with plain water, but also with nutrient solutions that have a beneficial effect on plant growth and their productivity. This is not about industrial top dressing; in the piggy bank of folk recipes, there are many available tools that are applicable for this purpose.

What did the previous generations of summer residents feed on tomatoes in the era of general shortages?

Yeast

Yeast

Yeast fungi enrich the soil with micro and macro elements, proteins, amino acids and vitamins. As a result of chemical reactions that occur after the introduction of yeast, the soil is saturated with useful substances and oxygen, and its structure is improved.

In the plants themselves, immunity and resistance to adverse conditions increase, roots become more powerful, more ovaries and fruits appear.

You can easily notice the difference in the appearance of tomatoes watered with plain water and yeast top dressing.

Yeast accelerates the process of decomposition of organic matter in the soil, improves its microflora.

The mixture is easy to prepare yourself right at their summer cottage. Both fresh and dry yeast can be used.

  1. To prepare a standard solution, one bag of dry yeast (or 100 g of fresh yeast) is diluted in 10 liters of lukewarm water and 1 tbsp. l. Sahara.
  2. All components are thoroughly mixed and allowed to brew for several hours.
  3. The composition is concentrated, before use it is diluted with plain water in a ratio of 1:5.

Ash

Ash

As a top dressing for cultivated plants, ash has been used for several hundred years. The extraordinary popularity of ash fertilizer is associated with its natural composition and good efficiency.

  • Calcium occupies a leading place in the composition of such top dressing.
  • In addition, the fertilizer contains potassium orthophosphate, magnesium carbonate and sulfate, sodium chloride.

As you can see, with the help of ash, plants receive a set of the most important elements for them.

The substance can also be used in dry form, but it is more convenient to use an ash solution. It is not necessary to water the tomatoes with such a composition often, it is enough to apply the product 2-3 times during the growing season.

To prepare the solution, 1 grams of ash is added to 100 bucket of water and left to infuse for 5-6 hours. 0,5 l of ash solution is used per plant.

Ammonia

Ammonia

Ammonia is another simple but effective fertilizer. In fact, this is a 10% ammonium hydroxide solution, in which the amount of nitrogen is 80-82%.

Importantly, nitrogen compounds in ammonia are in an easily digestible form, unlike fertilizers such as urea, ammonium nitrate, and manure.

Top dressing with ammonia is recommended to be used when there is no growth or the leaves of tomatoes become smaller, lose their green color.

  • Tomatoes can be watered with a solution of ammonia before flowering.
  • In the future, large doses of nitrogen for plants are undesirable.

Usually, two such top dressings are enough to stimulate the development of a tomato.

The solution is prepared very simply:

  1. For 10 liters of water, add 2-3 tablespoons of ammonia and stir.
  2. Fertilizer consumption for each bush is 1 liter.
  3. 10 days after that, you can give the plants phosphorus-potassium top dressing.

Feedback

With the advent of experience, each summer resident develops his own algorithm for watering tomatoes in the open field. Theoretical knowledge is good, but it must be tested in practice. Sometimes it is necessary to make adjustments to the generally accepted scheme due to the characteristics of the soil, climatic conditions and some other factors. Here is what those who have been growing crops for more than a year say about this.

Marianna, Stavropol:

“I completely stop watering the tomato at the end of August to avoid late blight. Bushes normally live up to frost, which we have in the second half of October. Sometimes the tomatoes are not as juicy as we would like, but the plants do not get sick, and it is possible to fully preserve the crop.

Vitaly, Novosibirsk region:

“For the second year on my site, I have purchased the Aqua Dusya drip irrigation system. I am very pleased with the result. No troubles with buckets, watering cans, hoses. The fruits are large, the bushes do not get sick. The only difficulty is that the system has to be removed for the winter and reinstalled in the spring. I play it safe, because our winters are frosty “

Inna, St. Petersburg:

“The frequency of watering directly depends on the area where the tomatoes are planted and on weather conditions. I heard that some people recommend watering tomatoes only two or three times per season, but I don’t think this is justified. With our wet summer, I water the tomatoes regularly, especially if there is no rain. First of all, you need to focus on the state of the plants themselves.

A unique way to water tomatoes. Results of the first application – video

Watering tomatoes in open ground can be done by various methods and with different regularity. Remember to sometimes replace watering with plain water with nutrient solutions – this will bring double benefits to the plants. Consider the needs of the variety, the type of soil, the weather outside the window, and then the tomatoes will remain healthy, and the fruits will be moderately juicy, rich in taste, as if they have absorbed a piece of summer.

Anna Evans

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