How often and how to water my tomatoes?
Tomatoes are highly valued vegetables in the gastronomic world due to their rich flavor and the adaptability they offer to different dishes.
Having a tomato plant in the home garden is an incredible experience and that is why many decide to include it almost compulsorily.
One of the points that you should perhaps pay more attention to is the irrigation of tomatoes because it does not tolerate drought or excess water. So we are going to answer all the doubts that may be going through your head on this topic.
From what is the recommended frequency to the problems that can arise if the recommendations are not followed. We start.
Important points when watering tomatoes:
- Irrigation frequency: from once a day when it is hotter to twice a week when the temperature is not so high.
- Irrigation method: drip.
- Optimum time of day for irrigation: in the morning.
- Identify excess water: problems to carry out photosynthesis, poor distribution of nutrients, root rot, presence of fungi.
- Identify lack of water: lack of vigor that does not improve at night, when it tends to be less hot, poor harvest, death of the tomato plant.
What irrigation needs do tomatoes have?
Tomatoes are species that need a certain amount of water to prosper favorably. Unlike other types of vegetables, perseverance in this matter is essential to ensure that it is healthy and offers an adequate harvest.
Now, it does not mean watering just because, you have to understand the processes it goes through from when it is a seed until it has red and edible fruits.
How can we detect lack of irrigation in tomatoes?
Tomato plants will look vigorous as long as they have watering adjusted to their requirements.When this vigor is lost, it is quite likely that it is due to a water stress problem.
However, it should not be confused with the natural decay that occurs when the most extreme hours of sun arrive, but rather the plant should be valued at the time of evening.
If the drought continues, the plant will not be able to give a good harvest, nor to stay alive, so it will end up dying.
How often should we water the tomatoes?
The frequency of irrigation in the tomato must be established based on its particular needs at each stage. When the seeds are planted, it is usually the most demanding moment regarding this issue, because high humidity is required for them to germinate.
After it has been established as a plant, it is necessary to take into account the factors of the land, the climate, the exposure to sunlight, among others. The most advisable thing is to apply short irrigations and with little water but daily in the productive stage, reducing it to two per week the rest of the time.
What is the best way to water tomatoes?
Drip irrigation is the best alternative for watering tomato plants because it helps provide water with two fundamental bases: slow and constant.When the water manages to penetrate deep into the earth, without running the risk of flooding, the plant develops a better root system.
In this way, the aerial part will look better and this will have a positive impact on fruit production. It must be taken into account that the irrigation of the foliage and the fruits will be counterproductive for the health of the tomato plant, so it is better to take care not to do it.
How do we detect excess water in tomatoes?
When the soil presents an excess of humidity, the roots will be unable to offer the necessary oxygenation to the rest of the plant. This will have consequences at the level of color in the foliage and loss of vigor, since it will be difficult for it to carry out vital processes such as photosynthesis.
Likewise, a negative influence will be noticed in the access to nutrients, which will reduce the strength of the plant. All this will impact, as is logical, the productivity of the tomatoes, which may be reduced in quantity or with low quality.
But the most considerable damage is related to root rot and the possible settlement of fungi, which love moist areas. When it comes to irrigation of tomatoes, it is also important to assess the state of water quality because it will be essential to have a healthy crop.
In general, it is possible to use those that contain a certain level of salts, but taking care that it is not excessive. In any case, if you want to give it just the water that is the most favorable for its growth and production, be careful to collect rainwater, it will be ideal.
Bibliographic references
- Tomato irrigation, R Ferreyra, PA Garcia-Huidobro – Research and Progress…, 1983 – library.inia.cl
- Irrigation requirements for greenhouse tomatoes, J Flores, W Ojeda-Bustamante, I López… – Terra…, 2007 – redalyc.org
- Husk tomato production (Physalis ixocarpa Brot.) based on irrigation sheets and plastic mulch, R López-López, R Arteaga-Ramírez… – Revista Chapingo…, 2009 – scielo.org.mx
- Effect of controlled deficit irrigation on tomato crop production (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) under localized irrigation, LR Rázuri, G Romero, E Romero, JD Hernández … – 2008 – saber.ula.edu.ve
- Automatic management of shade mesh and irrigation in a tomato greenhouse, FH Schlam – Scientia Agropecuaria, 2011 – dialnet.unirioja.es
- Response of process tomato to partial root irrigation, JA Zegbe, MH Behboudian, BE Clothier – Terra Latinoamericana, 2007 – redalyc.org
- Effect of the application of different volumes of irrigation water and nitrogenous fertilization on the yield and quality of industrial tomato, MI González, E Ruz – Agriculture Technique, 1999 – library.inia.cl
- Development of tomato plants in a pumice-sand substrate with three different irrigation frequencies, MÁ Segura-Castruita, AR Ramírez-Seañez … – Revista Chapingo …, 2011 – scielo.org.mx
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