How to properly water tomatoes in a polycarbonate greenhouse

How often to water tomatoes in a greenhouse

The frequency of watering tomatoes grown in greenhouse conditions plays an important role in their development and fruiting. Such a crop can be equally damaged by both overwatering and lack of moisture; in this case, the bushes begin to ache, which has an extremely negative effect on the quality and quantity of fruits.

You can understand that the selected irrigation mode is incorrect by the following signs:

• all leaf plates on the bush lose turgor and begin to fly off due to insufficient or too poor watering;
• curled foliage is a sign that watering is too frequent or excessive.

On average, tomatoes growing in a greenhouse are watered 1-2 times a week. In this case, the frequency of watering is affected not only by temperature, but also by air humidity.

Soil and air humidity standards for tomatoes

Watering tomatoes in a greenhouse should provide ninety percent soil moisture and fifty percent air humidity . These conditions can ensure normal growth and development of the bush, and optimal protection against fungal diseases.

How often and at what time should tomatoes be watered in a greenhouse? In order to achieve a similar microclimate in the greenhouse, watering tomatoes should be carried out subject to the following rules:

• You need to water the plants no more than once or twice a week , depending on the level of humidity and air temperature;
• each bush should receive 4-5 liters ;
• Tomatoes should be watered strictly at the root, without getting on the bush . Drops of water in the sun become a kind of lenses and cause burns;
• recommended time - morning or early evening , so that the sun does not create a greenhouse effect and all moisture goes into the soil and does not evaporate.

IMPORTANT. Do not water your tomatoes with cold water, as this will cause them stress. The water temperature should be at least 23-24 degrees.

Features of watering tomatoes in a greenhouse

Experienced gardeners know that the frequency and abundance of watering tomatoes grown in a greenhouse depends on what stage of development the bushes are at.

After disembarkation

After the seedlings are transplanted into the bed in the greenhouse, they should be well watered with plenty of water. Transplanted seedlings are initially in a depressed state, and their root system is still very weak, so special attention should be paid to soil moisture during this period.

However, there is no consensus on this matter:

• Some experts advise watering the planted seedlings daily, using a small amount of water, arguing that the weak root system is not able to absorb too much liquid, and since it has not yet grown, it is not able to extract moisture from deeper layers soil.
• Other experts are confident that after the bushes are watered abundantly after planting (4–5 liters of water per bush), they should be left alone for a week. During this time, they will have time to take root, and their root system will become stronger.

During active growth and flowering

When the seedlings take root and begin to grow actively, the frequency of watering should be such that the soil surface between them has time to dry to a depth of 30–50 mm. As a rule, at this time the soil is moistened once every 5 days.

If you water tomatoes more often, then only their superficial root system will develop well, which is not able to provide the plant with all the necessary nutrients. The same watering regime is provided to this vegetable crop during flowering.

During fruiting in July-August

During the period of fruit set, the amount of watering is increased. The fact is that at this time the bushes spend a lot of moisture on the growth of fruits, but if there is too much liquid in the soil, this can cause them to crack.

Make sure that the soil is always slightly moist, but do not allow water to stagnate in the root system. On average, at this time watering is carried out twice every 7 days.

However, if the surface of the earth near the bushes is very wet, then the number of waterings can be reduced to once every 5 days.

When the fruits grow and begin to ripen, the watering regime should be changed again. If you water the bushes too much and often at this time, then the ripening tomatoes will not only crack, but also begin to rot. As a rule, at this time the soil is moistened once every 1–1.5 weeks.

Read more in the article: How to water tomatoes in open ground

Does crop quality depend on irrigation?

Tomatoes are heat-loving plants, so in the southern regions they can be grown in open ground . For gardeners from the middle zone and Siberia, it is better to use polycarbonate greenhouses or temporary greenhouses for these purposes. They can create all the conditions conducive to obtaining a bountiful harvest of nightshades.

Caring for tomatoes in a greenhouse has a number of features. In order for the plants to produce a good harvest, it is necessary to take into account the stage of growth of the bush, change the frequency of watering and choose the optimal time for it. You can irrigate in different ways - it depends on the area of ​​the greenhouse.

Features of the microclimate of greenhouses

The greenhouse allows you to maintain air temperature and humidity levels favorable for plants. In addition, it is possible to shelter the seedlings from strong winds or rain.

In summer, air humidity in greenhouses is 60-80%. On particularly hot days, this figure can drop to 40%. If dry weather alternates with rainy weather, the humidity can reach 90%. Improper watering of tomatoes during this period will only aggravate the situation, since along with the need for moist soil, these plants need dry air for the full development of the ground part.

Important ! When humidity rises, the greenhouse needs to be ventilated. Musty air can reduce plant productivity.

The soil humidity in the greenhouse should be 90%, the normal value for air is 50%. These conditions are suitable for the development of the bush, the formation of fruits and the protection of plants from various diseases.

How to organize watering yourself

There are several ways to water tomatoes grown in a polycarbonate greenhouse. Each of them has its own advantages and disadvantages. The most common of them will be discussed below.

Manual watering

If the greenhouse is small, then it is recommended to use the manual method for watering tomatoes. To do this, you will need either a watering hose or a watering can, and the water must be poured at the root.

The disadvantage of using a watering hose is that in this case the water comes either from a water supply or from a well, and it is very cold, so the likelihood of hypothermia of the root system increases. This method is also bad because it is impossible to control the amount of water poured under the bush.

Experienced gardeners recommend using a watering can in this case. In this case, it is better to take water that has settled and heated in the sun. To do this, you can install a barrel near the structure, into which water is poured in advance so that it has time to heat up.

Drip irrigation

Drip irrigation is advantageous to use in large greenhouses, since manual watering in this case is too complicated and time-consuming.

This method has many advantages:

• the liquid goes directly to the root system, so it does not evaporate on the soil surface, which means that watering will not increase air humidity;
• water will not get on the surface of foliage, shoots or flowers;
• You can water tomatoes at any time of the day;
• When watering, the soil does not become salty or washed away.

To provide drip irrigation to plants, you will have to install a special system, which consists of many special tubes connected to each other, they are connected directly to the roots of the plants, and it is through them that water flows to them.

The easiest way is to purchase a ready-made drip irrigation system at a specialized store, but if you wish, you can assemble it yourself.

How to organize drip irrigation in a greenhouse - video

Pit irrigation

Pit watering of tomatoes is a rather unusual method that some gardeners are just beginning to use.

1. In this case, a hole is dug in the bed 0.3 meters deep and 0.5–0.6 meters in diameter.
2. Four tomato bushes are planted along the edges of this pit, and the distance between them should be from 0.5 to 0.6 meters.
3. After planting, the hole must be filled with mowed grass so that it rises slightly above the surface of the bed.
4. When watering, pour water only into this grass; 20 liters of water are poured into one hole at a time.

This method is good because the tomato is watered deeply, due to which the root system of the bushes becomes strong and well developed. And over time, the mown grass begins to rot and warms the roots of the plant, which also has a positive effect on their development and growth.

This method also allows you to reduce the number of waterings; the bushes can be charged with moisture for about 7–10 days (sometimes longer).

Watering with plastic bottles

The method of watering tomatoes using plastic bottles is very popular among gardeners. The fact is that the consumables in this case cost practically nothing; you only need a few plastic bottles, nails and old tights.

It is very easy to build a structure from bottles, and it can serve you for many years. There are several options for such designs:

1. Funnel. Take a bottle and make several holes in its cork with a nail. If the soil in the garden bed is light, then make just a couple of holes in it with a diameter of about 0.2 cm, and if the soil is heavy, then you will need 4 larger holes. The cork should be covered with unnecessary tights or other synthetic material (natural material may rot). This is necessary so that the soil does not clog the holes. Then cut off the bottom of the bottle, but not completely, make something like a lid. Place the resulting “funnels” in the garden bed between two planting holes at a depth of 15 centimeters and at an angle of 45 degrees, then fill the container with water.
2. Upside down into the ground. In this case, holes are made on the sides of the plastic bottle, after which tights are put on it. Then the container is dug in between two planting holes strictly vertically so that only the neck rises above the surface. You will need to pour water into it from time to time. You cannot close it with a cork, as in this case the liquid will not be able to leave the bottle and be absorbed into the soil.

Drip irrigation

If you have a large greenhouse, then manual watering becomes very problematic; to solve this problem, you can organize drip irrigation in your greenhouse. You will need a small financial investment to purchase a hose and other equipment, but the watering process itself will be simplified significantly. Its main advantages are that:

• Water goes directly to the root system of the plant;
• Water consumption is significantly saved;
• Productivity almost doubles;
• Soil leaching and salinization are eliminated;
• You can water tomatoes at any time and it does not require much effort from the owner.

If you don’t have money, you can make drip irrigation with your own hands from plastic bottles, the only downside is that we will have to periodically fill the bottles with water ourselves, and not just open the tap and that’s it.

When to water

The time for watering tomatoes grown in greenhouse conditions directly depends on weather conditions and the design features of the greenhouse. As a rule, if the weather is dry and warm, then you can water your tomatoes at any time except at night. But in this case, during the daytime, you need to pour water very carefully at the root so that it does not get on the surface of the foliage, since the sun's rays in this case can leave burns on the leaf plates.

Experienced gardeners recommend starting watering in the afternoon, since by this hour the water in the barrel has time to warm up well, because it cools down overnight.

Please note that you cannot water the bushes in the late evening or at night, because the greenhouse is tightly closed at night and therefore the air humidity rises very strongly, which is detrimental to tomatoes.

If you decide to water the tomatoes in the evening, then ventilate the greenhouse well to remove excess moisture from it.

If the weather is cool and damp, then watering is carried out before lunch, in which case the structure will have time to be well ventilated until the evening.

Fundamental Rules

It is better to water tomatoes in a greenhouse (both polycarbonate and film or glass) in the evening hours, after sunset. The absence of sunlight protects the plant from burns and prevents strong evaporation (due to this, the water completely goes into the ground and does not evaporate).

Wherein:

• You can water at any time when the weather is warm (but not hot) and dry;
• on cool and rainy days, the procedure is carried out before lunch, because... during the remaining half of the day the room will have time to ventilate;
• You cannot postpone the event until late in the evening, because... in a greenhouse closed at night, the water that has not had time to be absorbed will begin to evaporate, increasing the humidity;
• Once after irrigation, open the windows to provide ventilation.

Regularity

If water stagnates in the soil, the root system cannot cope with its absorption and begins to rot. But deficiency also causes dehydration, and leaves often suffer from this. As a result, tomato bushes overheat from exposure to high temperatures, dry out and die.

Water the plantings 1-2 times a week, taking into account the condition of the soil and environmental humidity indicators.

Humidity standards

Tomatoes, like cucumbers, are demanding in terms of humidity, but for the full development of the above-ground vegetative part, dry air in a greenhouse is more suitable for them.

Optimal conditions: 70-80% for soil and 45-60% for air.

If you follow these recommendations, the risk of diseases (especially fungal etiology) is minimized.

Water temperature

Do not water tomatoes with cold water. Due to sudden changes in temperature, plants experience stress and, as a result, weaken. The optimal indicator should be at 23-24°.

Advice from experienced gardeners

If this is your first time deciding to grow tomatoes in a greenhouse, then you will certainly find the advice of experienced gardeners useful:

1. If you heat water for irrigation in a barrel and install it inside the greenhouse, then be sure to cover it tightly with a lid or film. The same applies to any other containers filled with water. If this is not done, then the liquid will begin to evaporate, and this will significantly increase the level of air humidity.
2. If the soil in the garden bed does not absorb water well, it is recommended to carefully dig it with a pitchfork.
3. It is extremely undesirable to regularly loosen the surface of the soil around tomatoes grown in greenhouse conditions. Instead, immediately after planting, cover the surface of the bed with a layer of mulch (hay or straw).
4. In warm weather, the optimal temperature of water used for irrigation should be from 18 to 20 degrees, and in cold weather - from 22 to 24 degrees. If the water is cold, then the tomatoes will experience stress after watering, which will negatively affect their growth and fruiting.
5. Immediately after watering, be sure to ventilate the greenhouse well (if you do not have a ventilation system installed). Otherwise, air humidity will rise sharply, which is extremely undesirable.

Signs of improper watering

The condition of the plants largely depends on how tomatoes are watered in a greenhouse. After all, water performs a very important function: it helps the roots receive from the soil the nutrients necessary for the development of the plant. Ignorance of the rules for watering tomato seedlings in a greenhouse, as well as moistening tomatoes after planting in a permanent place in the greenhouse, as well as a careless attitude towards this process, will inevitably lead to the death of the plant.

Signs that indicate that the tomatoes in the greenhouse are being watered incorrectly:

• plant leaves become spotted and curl;
• the stem and top of the bush dry;
• no flowering;
• the ovary falls off;
• the rhizome rots;
• Fusarium wilt develops on plants;
• tomatoes are affected by late blight.

Each of these troubles can be caused by both insufficient soil moisture and too frequent watering of tomatoes in the greenhouse. Therefore, novice gardeners need to immediately find out from their more experienced colleagues all the intricacies of care, and especially how to water tomatoes in a greenhouse, so as not to experience all these unpleasant moments in caring for vegetables the hard way.

Signs of under- and over-watering

Signs of lack of moisture in tomatoes:

• Twisting the sheet plate along the center in the form of a “boat”;
• Drying of ovaries and buds without symptoms of disease.

With a lack of watering, plants become weak and frail. There is an increased vulnerability to fungal diseases and insect-borne viruses.

Signs of excess moisture:

• Tomatoes that have been over-watered become watery and tasteless;
• The stem and fruit crack, which leads to further infection and disease of the plant;
• Fungal diseases spread quickly in a greenhouse.

With high humidity and poor ventilation of the greenhouse, all types of rot occur, late blight develops quickly, the fruits deteriorate and lose their shelf life and transportability.

What water to use

1. Warm water.

Sudden changes in temperature should not be allowed, so it is better to water with warm water. In hot weather, it is heated by the sun and can reach 23−25ºС, that is, be close to the ambient temperature.

1. Cold water.

In cloudy weather, use water heated to 18-22ºС. Lower temperature water helps slow down metabolic processes and the development of diseases.

Advice! Use settled water or rainwater, which has less hardness.

Combining watering with fertilizing

In the process of growing tomatoes, it is important not only to water in a timely manner and collect ripening tomatoes, but also to fertilize the tomato bushes. Regularly applied fertilizers allow tomatoes to receive the necessary nutrients for development and fruiting constantly. The yield of tomatoes directly depends on the amount of fertilizer.

Fertilizers are diluted in water and fertilized at the roots. Typically, any fertilizers are applied after watering so as not to burn the delicate root system of tomatoes. The following substances are usually used to feed tomatoes:

• potassium permanganate;
• mash;
• kvass;
• curdled milk;
• wood ash solution;
• eggshells;
• compost;
• bird droppings.

All these substances can be spread dry on the surface of the soil, or you can infuse them for several days with water, then filter, dilute and fertilize the tomatoes simultaneously with watering.

Any vegetable grower can find similar preparations. But you can also use chemicals to feed tomatoes. For example, prepare a solution of superphosphate according to the instructions and apply it under the tomato bushes. You can also use vermicompost to feed these vegetable plants, which will not only become a source of nutrients for tomatoes, but also improve the composition of the soil.

In order to strengthen the immunity of plants and increase their resistance to attacks by pathogenic microorganisms and harmful insects, tomato bushes should be treated with Bordeaux mixture or diluted aspirin.

The most effective remedy against pathogenic fungi is Trichopolum, which copes well with pathogens without causing harm to cultivated plants.

In order to strengthen tomato bushes, it is recommended to apply Zdraven fertilizer under them. It is available in liquid form and is easily diluted with water.

Any type of fertilizer saturates tomatoes with all the necessary nutrients, activates the growth and development of plants, and improves the taste of the fruit. And fertilizers in liquid form simultaneously moisten the soil and add nutrients to it.

Watering tomatoes on the balcony

For growing on the balcony, certain varieties of tomatoes are selected - short, compact with a not very branched root system. For example, the tomato variety “Thumbelina”. Also for growing you will need low, long containers that are filled with a nutrient substrate.

It is recommended to first soak the seeds for germination and only then plant them in containers.

Seedlings and young seedlings are watered little by little, but often, so that the soil in the containers remains constantly moist. As soon as the seedlings grow, they are hardened off by opening a window in the room. The grown plants are transferred to the balcony, where in the first weeks the windows need to be shaded and the temperature maintained around 19-20 degrees Celsius.

Once the plants have acclimatized to the new location, the shading should be removed. Tomatoes are watered as the soil dries; after watering, the root zone of the bushes is carefully and carefully loosened.

By the time of active fruiting, the number and volume of watering of tomatoes is reduced so that the soil is slightly dry. Also, during the growth and fruiting process of tomatoes grown on balconies, they should be fed with fertilizers, and windows should be opened to attract pollinating insects.