Watering Tomatoes

[SmileySue]

Hi,

I'm venturing into container gardening for the first time in my life this year (the first time for any kind of gardening in fact!!)....I have so far planted potatoes, lettuce, dwarf beans, broccoli, strawberries, garlic, and tomatoes.

Now, everything seems to be doing ok so far! But I have a couple of questions about the tomatoes...

I have these varieties - Gardener's Delight, Tumbler, and Totem F1.

How often do they need to be watered? The tops of the compost seem quite dry when I come home every day, but I don't want to water them daily and drown them if that is the wrong thing to do. I am growing them in a mini greenhouse.

Also, the side shoots. How much am I supposed to pull off? And I heard I am supposed to pinch off the top shoot - but when?!

Everything else seems to be doing ok - but the same question...do I need to water them every day?

Thanks

[SmileySue]

Right, I have got home after posting this earlier today and my tomatoes now have a few brownish patches on the leaves. Have I killed them already

[SmileySue]

Anyone??

[Lesley Jay]

Hi Sue! Sorry for the delay in replying - (flu!)

Right, watering tomatoes. I grow mine outdoors and they are watered every other day in the evening unless the weather is hot and then they are watered every day. Over watering tomatoes can cause the fruits to split. It's trial and error really, just don't drown them and water from the base.

You don't need to remove the side shoots from the tumbling tomatoes. On the others where a side branch joins the main stem this is where the little side shoots form and these side shots need cutting off.

As for the brown bits on the leaves, have you put water on the leaves when watering the plants?

[SmileySue]

Hi - thanks...

Yes, I think it is a bit of sunburn!! I watered them in the sun the other day, and was stopped by the man next door who said I should take the rose off the watering can and water at the base and only water in the morning or in the evening.

But too late - I have burnt them! Will they die??

[Lesley Jay]

Sue they should be fine so don't worry!!

I water in the evenings because I figure that the plants will get more of the water before the heat of the day starts to dry the soil out (if that makes sense) but slugs and snails love the moisture as well.

[SmileySue]

Fab - well they seem to have perked up a little bit, certainly no worse, so fingers crossed!

The man next door also told me to mist the leaves every few days or so in the evening....I will buy a plant spray today and give that a go.

[Bec]

Dear Smiley Sue: mulch your plants so you won't need to worry about how dry they get on a hot day. Good mulching materials: straw, newspapers laid on thickly, leaves, sand, ask your gardening neigbor for more ideas on free mulch material. Do not use wood shavings or dust. Even flat stones will make a good mulch and helps keep the cats from digging in the pots.

[malcolmx]

in your mini greenhouse the temp will go up and down v quick so open front daily close at night water each day at base run on until 3 flower trusses and then pinch out tops pick out any side shoots water every day the same amount even watering stops splitting water with tomorite after first truss has set make sure flowers set use a paint brush to move pollen damp floor on hot days mulch pots with gravel or some stone oif possible
hope this helps

[SmileySue]

Hi Malcolmx and Bec..that is very helpful, thank you so much!