Pro tip: That moment I learned my garden watering was all wrong

I used to water my tomato plants every evening without fail for years. Then last July I noticed the leaves were always yellow and the fruit tasted bland. My neighbor, a retired farmer named Bob, told me I was drowning the roots and should water deep but less often. Now I water twice a week with a soaker hose and the tomatoes are actually sweet. Has anyone else had a neighbor save their garden with one simple tip?

3 comments

3 Comments

pat_coleman14d ago

Did you try the soaker hose right away or ease into it? I had a similar thing happen with my pepper plants a few summers ago. My neighbor came over while I was out there with a sprinkler and told me I was basically giving them a shower every day instead of a drink. She said to put the hose right at the base and water slow for an hour once a week. Now I swear by that and my peppers are way hotter than before.

the_nina14d ago

Slow and low, that's the secret.

tara_jones9414d ago

Man, @pat_coleman, you're speaking my language! I was the exact same way with my tomatoes last year. I started with the soaker hose right off the bat, but I almost gave up on it because I thought I was drowning them. Turns out I wasn't going slow enough - a full hour of that slow drip really makes a difference, doesn't it? My neighbor finally talked me into timing it and now I won't go back. It's like the roots finally learned to reach down deep instead of just sitting at the surface.