Growing tomatoes consists of a number of procedures, the correct conduct of which will affect the crop. This article discusses watering - how, when, and how to water tomatoes.

What is the importance of proper watering of tomatoes

Watering is of great importance for growing tomatoes, starting from the stage of sowing seeds. Without moistening the soil, the seeds will not be able to hatch and will not germinate. Young sprouts, along with moisture, absorb food from the soil - without this seedlings, they will not be able to grow green mass.The norm and the method of watering is of importance, since a deficiency will lead to shedding of flowers, to infantile formation of fruits. Excess water will provoke rotting of the roots and lead to the death of the plant. It should be noted that a ripe fruit is 90% water. If the culture is not provided with moisture to an acceptable extent, its flesh will be hard and tasteless.

The main methods of watering

Depending on the density and place of planting, one or another irrigation method is chosen.

Did you know? The famous naturalist from Sweden, Karl Liney (1707–1778), gave the plants under consideration the name in Latin Solanum lycopersicum, which means “wolf peaches”. In botany, it is still used.

Manual

It is convenient in small greenhouses and beds. In this case, use a bucket with a bucket or a garden watering can. Humidify the soil closer to the stem, trying not to get on the foliage.

It is not advisable to moisten the planting of tomatoes from the hose, since:

• it is impossible to control the temperature of the water, root hypothermia is possible;
• moving the hose along the bed, you can break the stems that got in the way;
• after the procedure, the earth on the surface dries, forming a crust that interferes with the access of oxygen.

Drip

The most optimal method of saturating the soil with moisture is a drip-subsoil.

Organizing it is not difficult:

1. It is necessary to take a plastic bottle of 2 liters.
2. The bottom is cut, the lid is removed from the neck and a piece of plastic tube is inserted.
3. The bottle is set upside down 10-15 cm from the bush.
4. Water is poured, along the tube it will be distributed throughout the near-stem circle, feeding the roots.

Auto

Large areas are difficult to get around with a watering can or bucket and bucket. Installing an improvised dropper from a bottle near each plant is also time consuming and not convenient.

Did you know? The pigment lycopene, which is part of the tomato, is not only able to destroy cancer cells, but also slows down the aging process of the skin.

In this case, you can buy an irrigation system in the shops for gardeners. Its design is a hose system with holes and nozzles. Some systems have splitter tips that spray water in four directions.

The advantage of the system is obvious: once mounted, it remains only to set the on and off time. Water sprayed from the system does not touch the leaf part and does not wash out the soil from the near-stem circle.

How often and how to carry out the procedure

When grown in a greenhouse and in open beds, watering is carried out with some differences. General rule: wherever the procedure is carried out, the water should be warm and soft.

In the open ground

Watering is carried out more often in the evening.

Water temperature may vary based on weather conditions:

• in the heat - 18–22 ° С;
• on a cloudy day - 25–28 ° С.

Culture loves plentiful hydration, but not frequent. Watered on average 2 times a week, 5-6 liters under the root of the plant. In strong heat, it is advisable to huddle the stems after the procedure in order to protect the roots from overheating. The mulch will cope with the same task.

In the greenhouse

Watering is carried out in the morning, until the air has time to warm up. In intense heat, an additional procedure may be required. In this case, it is carried out until 17.00 - until the night the greenhouse has time to ventilate. Optimum indicators of the regime: soil moisture - 90%, air - 50%. Watering is also carried out under the root, without touching the foliage. Under these conditions, the norm is 4–5 l, the frequency is 2 times a week.

Features of watering

At different stages of growth and development, plants require different amounts of water.

After landing in the ground

Planting bushes, spill into each hole up to 3 liters of water, then after planting, water the culture. In the greenhouse, the water rate is increased to 4 liters. The next watering after planting is carried out in a week. To build greenery and growth, tomatoes need a lot of fluid, the procedure is carried out 2 times a week, the norm is 4-6 liters.

During flowering

During the formation of a flower brush, the water rate is reduced to 2-3 liters. Active flowering requires a decrease in watering frequency to 1 time per week, the norm remains the same. During this period, irrigation is combined with liquid top dressing, and the topsoil is moistened to 25 cm. Especially carefully make sure that water does not get on the flowers: if pollen sticks together, pollination will be at risk.

During fruiting

With the beginning of the formation of fruits, the fluid rate is increased to 5 l, the frequency - up to 2 times a week, tall varieties - up to 1 time in 5 days. During fruiting, a lack of moisture will lead to dryness and stiffness of the fruit, overflow - to wateriness. At this time, the top layer of the earth is desirable to moisten up to 30 cm in depth. When the fruits begin to stain intensely, watering is reduced to once every 10 days so that the skin does not crack from excess moisture.

Useful Tips

Beginning gardeners will be useful to learn some of the nuances of proper irrigation.

Key recommendations:

1. Harvested rainwater is considered an ideal source of moisture for tomatoes.
2. Tap water must first be defended and heated. Water heats up faster in barrels painted black.
3. On open beds it is better to water in the evening, because at this time the soil is already warmed up by the sun.
4. After each humidification procedure, the greenhouse must be opened so that the moisture in the air evaporates, and does not stagnate, provoking the development of fungi.
5. Excessively hard water can be softened by adding herbal infusion.

The quality of the crop depends on how well the crop is watered, so you need to take into account its need for fluid in different periods. It is equally important to take into account the time of the procedure and the quality of the water.