I think I have a new favorite tomato

[DirtyCoconuts]

I like the idea but I would still spray with water. I find the water hitting the plant simulates rain and makes the plant stronger and more robust. Same with wind

[WaterWitchin]

Originally Posted by kvet

That sounds like a variation of the "Olla Irrigation" method. Nice way to keep water off the leaves, probably good for slopes. What other advantages would it have over hand watering with a hose+wand? Other than maybe you could setup a float valve in each pipe to allow automatic watering? That'd get pricey..

Similar to Olla but different. Faster filling, faster delivery. Hand watering? I use a soaker hose now. Used to throw a hose with a disperser next to the plants, it would take a couple of hours minimum to do that. It takes me an hour for the hand watering I have to do in summer, and that's just pots with flowers. I don't want to spend that much time, and wouldn't use a wand. Float valve?!? I don't do float valve with anything, let alone tomatoes...I'm looking for best, cheapest, fastest way to do it, which is why I was asking if anyone else does that method. Similar to Fuerte Rav and her plantings. Even using a soaker hose, there's a lot of wasted water.

---------- Post added at 08:04 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:59 PM ----------

Originally Posted by DirtyCoconuts

I like the idea but I would still spray with water. I find the water hitting the plant simulates rain and makes the plant stronger and more robust. Same with wind

You must live in a whole different environment in Florida than I do in Kansas. The whole deal is to not get the leaves wet, and only moisten the soil. Otherwise, it promotes all the different fungus, bacterial infection, viruses that are so prevalent when water is consistently on the leaves. That's one of the first lessons I learned about a good tomato crop... no water on leaves, lots of air flow, trimming up and getting rid of excess leaves and suckers.

Wind, my friend, we have plenty of.

[DirtyCoconuts]

Even with your wind? that’s crazy to me

I know a lot of the conventional wisdom is thrown out here

[WaterWitchin]

Watering tomatoes at soil level and not getting leaves wet is a very common proactive approach for both home and commercial growers. Just about anything you read from a trusted source says water at ground level, don't water leaves.

t's a more complex issue than "don't water the leaves" but I'm not up for explaining it today. Weather is too nice today, and must take advantage. I still don't even have my deliciousa repotted!

[kvet]

Originally Posted by WaterWitchin

Similar to Olla but different. Faster filling, faster delivery. Hand watering? I use a soaker hose now. Used to throw a hose with a disperser next to the plants, it would take a couple of hours minimum to do that. It takes me an hour for the hand watering I have to do in summer, and that's just pots with flowers. I don't want to spend that much time, and wouldn't use a wand. Float valve?!? I don't do float valve with anything, let alone tomatoes...I'm looking for best, cheapest, fastest way to do it, which is why I was asking if anyone else does that method. Similar to Fuerte Rav and her plantings. Even using a soaker hose, there's a lot of wasted water.

Okay! I hope you weren't taking my questioning as one of the "why would you do that" attitude - my questions are actually for understanding and curiosity, because, I like to support and try new things all the time, and will often get the "why would you do that". I grew container tomatoes last year and my folks were absolutely against the idea (made no sense to them), and it was fun proving them mostly wrong

The float valve suggestion was more of a brainstorming idea, as a way to have a way to fill up each PVC automatically so one wouldn't have to walk around to them, since I picture you having like 100 tomatoes. Of course, this really wouldn't work if the soil is fast draining since you'd be constantly filling, but if it is heavy clay like mine, then, the setup kind of almost turns into a side-ways sub-irrigated planter. As if Olla and SIP had a forbidden child.

I am looking at ways to water the tomatoes at parental units' later in the summer as well since I won't be at the house. To do something that requires low PSI such as a soaker hose or drip is currently problematic because I need to repair/replace the irrigation line pressure regulator. (post 6). The old valve is seriously locked in tight Once fixed, soaker hose kind of sounds like a good thing, however, my last experience was years ago and it was nothing but problematic. Also, they are kind of expensive if I needed 100-200ft. Drip tape or bubblers would probably be better. Hand watering is doable for now since it's needed only every 1.5-2 weeks, with the cool overcast weather and clay soil water retention. I'm looking at something in-place because it's tough maneuvering down the rows with limited space with concerns the hose will break the vines.

---------- Post added at 08:24 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:23 AM ----------

Originally Posted by WaterWitchin

Watering tomatoes at soil level and not getting leaves wet is a very common proactive approach for both home and commercial growers. Just about anything you read from a trusted source says water at ground level, don't water leaves.

DC: what WW said!

[WaterWitchin]

Originally Posted by kvet

Okay! I hope you weren't taking my questioning as one of the "why would you do that" attitude ...

Absolutely not!

For me, a float valve or irrigator would be just more parts that would eventually break and I wouldn't be able to figure out how to fix them. Heck, I have a stop valve on my RO system that I finally gave up on... couldn't get the leak to stop. I like to use the KISS method whenever possible.

No, these days I only do about 15-20 tomato plants, as I only do them for husband and myself. It's not side-wise sub-irritation, just straight down. Tomatoes need about six gallon of water per plant per week, preferably in one or two waterings per week. I've tried Olla, but just not the right fit for tomato plants, and the size vessel needed takes up too much horizontal space (like 5 gallon bucket size per plant, which I have tried).

I've found more than 50' foot soaker hoses to be unreliable for me... water pressure drops off too far from end and last part doesn't get enough water. My soil is really friable and sandy, because I've built the beds' soil that way. Have you considered just adding a bunch of compost and LOTS of sand to the growing space? Tomatoes, like asparagus, grow much better in a sandy soil.

I overplant where my tomatoes will be in early spring (lettuce, peas, beets, etc) and save a spot where the tomato will grow. By the time the tomato plant gets to a decent size, the rest is done. I don't want to water more dirt than I have to after that during the hottest months, so was thinking the PVC method would be a great alternative.

How many plants do your parents have? Because the PVC method would be perfect for container tomatoes. I did mine that way for decades.

Originally Posted by kvet

DC: what WW said!

Yeah DC... What WW sez!!

[kvet]

I put 37 in their patch. 3 rows, 20ft long each. It was originally supposed to be 27, however, the maternal unit insisted on purchasing 10 hybrids at the nursery which we found a way to fit in, so, spacing ranges 18-22" between the tomatoes in each row. It sounds close, but they'll be trained to a single vine on a lower-lean system

At home, last year I had 13 tomatoes in diy SWC/SIP containers using grocery store shortening and egg buckets. The SWC did not work, because my mix was WAY too lose, I had to water 2-3 times everyday. I threw out the containers, they ended up breaking end of the season. Soil was repurposed for winter crops.

This year, I had planed to do only six dwarf tomatoes, however, I have a total of 15 since I can't get rid of the duplicates - had a lot of trouble with the seeds germinating and then all of a sudden I had double what was intended. Ugh. The containers will be a mixture of 5 gallon buckets and grow bags, the medium will have more peat moss / coir this time so I don't have to water as much! Three of the buckets have a SIP-style doohickey I plug into it, but, I can do the PVC thing for the remaining buckets (but not grow bags, I suspect that would leak out) if I don't end up doing double-bucket SWC. All TBD. I also found stuff for "Earthtainers", which I wish I had time to build right now, that looks like a very promising way to do container tomatoes!

[WaterWitchin]

Yeah, the PVC wouldn't fare will in the grow bags, in my mind at least. I looked at the Earth Trainer... I've done a similar concept growing in a five gallon bucket, holes at bottom, inside one of those $4 PVC "tubs" you can get at WallyWorld. Big cheap plastic bucket, rope handles on each side. But now I have my "fancy" raised beds. More space to grow stuff, higher up so I can sit down and pick a lot of it, so I continue the watering experiment. No one has commented about actually doing it, but I think I'm gonna give it a whirl since I already have some PVC sections. I'll keep ya posted!

[DirtyCoconuts]

1) you guys know so much more than i do about this it is SILLY

2) i am already picking my purple cherokee and everglades tomatos......just saying LOL

[WaterWitchin]

1) Correct, and gracias for acknowledgment.

2) Braggart. And your zone immediately disqualifies you from the WW Family race for the first tomato by July 4th!