I need to rig up something to water my tomatoes when I'm away a few days at the time.

I thought about drip irrigation from a large barrel, but I don't want them to get too much water.

Ideas?

Drip tape and a timer. Set it to water in the morning and afternoon. Works great.

They won't dry out in a few days if they are watered good to start with.

Unless they're in a pot or bucket but if planted in the ground, I agree.

They are in the ground, but it sure gets pretty hot and dry later in the summer. I don't want them to suffer.... smile.

I was always under the impression you don't want to water in the evenings to prevent disease. I guess afternoons are ok as long as the leaves have time to dry before dark?

Have you seen where they drill hole in 5 gallon bucket then bury some of it and plant tomatoes around it. Then u fill with water and then it slowly leaks out

I've seen people use a section of 2" PVC pipe with a cap on one end. They drill a tiny hole and tie it standing up in the cage. Fill the pipe and the water trickles out real slow.

Gallon milk or clorox jug with small hole in a bottom corner. add a scoop of Miracle gro once a week. Thank me later

I'm into details.... a small hole as in a 1/8" or 1/16 drill bit size?

About how long will a gallon of water dripping last? 3 days?

go with 1/8"...drains out in hour or two

I gave them some Miracle Grow yesterday, that should give them some nutrients.

i put 1 T in each dose

Just began eating tomatoes today..... I have the greenest tomato plants ever.

Thanks JayHook2

Pinhole in a 5gal bucket

I would guess it needs to be a very small hole, maybe the size of a thumb tack point?

I have one of those soaker hoses setup on a timer that runs for like 10 minutes every morning. Every couple of days I may go out there and manually turn it on for 15 minutes or so. Well, I was gone for 5-6 days and looks like I'm gonna lose a couple of plants to the heat, guess the soaker hose in the morning just wasn't cutting it.

Can't seem to get any size on my tomatoes. Watering them every day, feeding with Miraclem grow. Giving them (8 plants) about 4 gallons a day. Any suggestions?

you may be feeding too much nitrogen? growing vines and not fruit. you might look at trimming some sucker vines and feeding fertilizer with lower nitrogen. just my opinion.

Hint, tie down the milk jug or weight it with sand. When it's empty the wind (from an afternoon thunderstorm) will take it away.

i cover my tomato beds with black plastic run a soaker hose under it and cut 6 inch round holes for plants the plastic holds the moisture extremely well and if they ever need extra i just turn the hose on for an hour or so. use black plastic not clear clear acts like a green house and heats soil too much. i honestly hardly ever have to water at all like this unless we go over a week without rain also no weeds to pull win win