watering tomatoes

[mutantpoodle]

I didnt want to intercept the earlier tomato thread so set a new one

Monty said water every couple days....I have always watered at least daily, depending on weather...greenhouse or not etc etc
often morning and evening

so my question is...should I water in the morning or the evening?

I realise with most plants its evening so plant can drink overnight and not have water evaporated

but someone somewhere told me mornings are far better

any views plaese...with no foreign trips this year tomatoes rule!!!

[ReformedCharacter]

I didnt want to intercept the earlier tomato thread so set a new one

Monty said water every couple days....I have always watered at least daily, depending on weather...greenhouse or not etc etc
often morning and evening

so my question is...should I water in the morning or the evening?

I realise with most plants its evening so plant can drink overnight and not have water evaporated

but someone somewhere told me mornings are far better

any views plaese...with no foreign trips this year tomatoes rule!!!

As long as you don't let your tomatoes get too dry I really doubt if it makes any difference whatsoever. In a greenhouse they may well need watering both morning and evening. And tomato feed from time to time too, of course.

RC

[todthedog]

I always think that the plants under a little stress (not overwatered) produce tastier fruit. The same applies to chillis .
Outdoor toms in the South of France look dreadful in the fields but produce wonderful flavour.
In the greenhouse planted in soil, a good water every 4/5 days does well, encourages deep roots.
Helps if you are lazy

[malkymoo]

I water my plants in the greenhouse using an automatic system, and set it to water twice a day. Conventional wisdom says allowing the pants to dry out causes blossom end rot. According to the RHS;

The soil or potting compost should be kept consistently moist throughout the growing season and must never be allowed to dry out. During hot periods it may need watering two or more times a day. It is better to water twice a day than once with a double volume. Growing bag compost is very difficult to moisten evenly and thoroughly once it has dried out

The main reason I use an automatic system is so I can go away for a couple of weeks in June without worrying if whoever I have asked to do the watering has remembered. Not as issue this year!

[sg31]

When I used to grow tomatoes in growbags I watered several times each day in very hot weather. Less so in ordinary conditions but always once each day.
Obviously early and late season is a little different.

I still got blossom end rot from time to time.

Now I use the quadgrow system where the plants can draw what they need from a reservoir. It means I can leave them for a day or two without worrying

https://www.greenhousesensation.co.uk/q ... gLI7PD_BwE

[Breelander]

When I used to grow tomatoes in growbags I watered several times each day in very hot weather. Less so in ordinary conditions but always once each day.
Obviously early and late season is a little different.

I keep my pots in a tray and add water to the tray, not the pots. They can then draw up as much or as little water as they need without the compost getting too saturated by watering from the top. In hot weather I try to keep at least 2" of water in the tray.

I still got blossom end rot from time to time.

So did I, until I noticed that only the pot directly in the sunlight got it badly. It seemed to be too much heat rather than a lack of water that was the cause. Now I shade all my pots to keep the roots cooler and I see far less blossom end rot.

[kempiejon]

I heard someone at a gardening show say that tomatoes took water up best rom their deeper roots and feed from those that came from the stem and so by potting on and setting the plants deep to encourage those feed roots was a good plan as such she suggested stand pots on a tray and water from the base and let the roots search down and the water be drawn up but to feed from the top.
I plant my tomatoes in pots with the bases removed and those pots I put into the grow bags 2 pots into a grow bag, the grow bags sit in trays and I add water to the trays and I water in my feed to the pots.

[mutantpoodle]

many thanks all for all advices and recommendations
I am sure I shall get a good crop...in due course