[DD.]

Does not work like that - if you water too much the plants just get lazy and do not put down proper roots. Also with some plants (including tomatoes) if you over water it affects the flavour. 

but if you dont give them enough water they split! 

Not really, irregular watering will cause them to split. Under-watering followed by trying to compensate with over-watering will do this.

[Hobnails]

Does not work like that - if you water too much the plants just get lazy and do not put down proper roots. Also with some plants (including tomatoes) if you over water it affects the flavour. 

but if you dont give them enough water they split! 

....and get blossom end rot!

[Apostrophes]

I mulch a lot: manure, straw, hay, grass clippings, newspaper . . . Last year when I cleared away the hay around my beans after a very hot and dry week with no water at all the soil was still damp.

[Trillium]

Exactly, hobnails. Plants that are drying out simply cannot suddenly handle copious amounts of water without affecting their fruit. A prime example is tomatoes - if they get uneven watering, they get blossom end rot. It's partly to do with low calcium intake, but irregular watering triggers the problem in the first place.

In place of watering, let the plants get started with some judicious watering, then ease back slowly with the watering until they're able to search for their own, which means, let them set deep tap roots and search for water and nutrients. This always makes for stronger plants. And of course, humousy soil always helps. And loads of mulch.

[Springlands]

Does not work like that - if you water too much the plants just get lazy and do not put down proper roots. Also with some plants (including tomatoes) if you over water it affects the flavour. 

but if you dont give them enough water they split! 

Hi Matt - they are more likely to split if you over water them after they have been too dry - it really is a balancing act with tomatoes. 

[DD.]

Ahem.

Not really, irregular watering will cause them to split. Under-watering followed by trying to compensate with over-watering will do this.

 

[Springlands]

  Cannot remember that far back!! 

[mattwragg94]

and heres me thinking it was the other way round! - oh well, TBH ive never had problems with my toms spliting anyway - but if they do i'll know why!

[sunshineband]

Ahem.

Not really, irregular watering will cause them to split. Under-watering followed by trying to compensate with over-watering will do this.

 

I know! I know!!

I was only saying this for Matt, not ignoring you m'dear 

[Dopey113]

SHMBO cam back from the lotty and says the rain butts are full (been raining all day)50 gal and 25 gal (I think they were 1/2 full already though) just shows how little rain you need on a shed roof to fill a butt up though

[willowman]

So these trickle waterers that attach to the water butt (which I was contemplating getting) are not really any use?
As they just put drops of water on the surface I assume that the drippers would have to be right next to the plant or the water will not penetrate down to the plants, unless the pipes are buried, of course.

[mumofstig]

let the drippers drip into pop bottles (with bottoms cut off) to take the water to the roots, if you're worried 

[parttimer]

We have no mains water on site so I am very concious of what I use and only ever water in plants and seeds for about a week. Last year I only used about 700ltr over the whole spring summer period.

[goodtogrow]

A geeky comment from me please.  All plants are programmed to find their own water by a process known as hydrotropism.  The roots travel to where the water is, usually downwards.

While it is obvious that tap- rooted crops like parsnips and carrots go straight down, all crops will do the same if that's the only place to find water.

Crops put on long root systems to find water - metres long - just because we can't see these fine roots doesn't mean that they're not there!

Anyway, really geeky stuff in abundance can be found in 'Principles of Horticulture', Bamford et al
And no, my name isn't Bamford, and no I don't sell this book!  I just grow by it!

Have a great season everyone.

Tom

[sunshineband]

Not geeky goodtogrow just correct.

Trillium commented the same in her post above, about roots heading for water