Tomato plants stood in water

[haza1981]

Hi,

So I have seen loads of people who sit their tomatoes in trays with water in. Is this a good thing or a bad thing?

[zazen999]

The trays are to water them from the bottom.

They shouldn't stand in water indefinitely. That will kill them.

Water from the bottom, feed from the top. Them's the rules

[Sanjo]

Hi,

So I have seen loads of people who sit their tomatoes in trays with water in. Is this a good thing or a bad thing?

Unless you mean the tray has gravel/sand in it?

[binley100]

i've stood my grow bags on trays with holes punched in the bottom but they don't seem to be taking up the water. Grow bags are end on like big plant pots not flat.

[Snadger]

I suppose if you were doing this you would know when to water as the tray would be empty?

[binley100]

Well yes but the water doesn't seem to be emptying , there's capillary matting in the trays. I'm wondering if it's cos they're in growbags not plantpots , or maybe we should make the holes bigger.

[zazen999]

Is the soil damp?

[binley100]

I need to go and have a dig down . the top layer is fairly dry. They are peat free grow bags. P'haps as well if we can make the holes a bit bigger it might help.

[VJay]

i've stood my grow bags on trays with holes punched in the bottom but they don't seem to be taking up the water. Grow bags are end on like big plant pots not flat.

They should be flat m8. Tomatoes with thrive well on flat grow bags. Don't worry about them not getting any support, tie some string around the plant and suspend it to the roof of the greenhouse, it's better to double the string so you can put the new shoots inbetween as they grow up

[Tomatoking]

Hi,

So I have seen loads of people who sit their tomatoes in trays with water in. Is this a good thing or a bad thing?

I think you might be confused here as to when and how. Some people stand their small tomatoes in pots in trays. They then put a few inches of water in the tray to let it soak up, maybe a few times a week, they are not supposed to be left standing in water.

There is a system called hydroponics, which have fully grown plants in a small block of rockwool left continously in 'flowing water' this means the roots also get air, as the water is circulating.

I don't think a grow bag stood in water will work, you need to water grow bags slowly from the top. This is why you put small drain holes at the bottom, or again the base of the root will be standing in stagnant water and die.

A plant in a large pot could be watered from below if in a tray of gravel, but again it must not be continuously stood in water.

[VJay]

There is a system called hydroponics, which have fully grown plants in a small block of rockwool left continously in 'flowing water' this means the roots also get air, as the water is circulating.

Watched a program on sky growing lettuce using hydroponics. The lettuce was ready to eat, no dirt. Might try something like that next year as I have a water pump beside my greenhouse

[Alison]

They should be flat m8. Tomatoes with thrive well on flat grow bags. Don't worry about them not getting any support, tie some string around the plant and suspend it to the roof of the greenhouse, it's better to double the string so you can put the new shoots inbetween as they grow up

Flat grow bags are nowhere near deep enough for toms, the on end way of doing it is much better

[VJay]

Alison, my uncle gets a great crop from growbags on the flat. He grows 30 plants every year, 3 plants to a grow bag and they're yielding ever bit as good as ones I've seen planted directly into rich soil.

[Tomatoking]

Alison, my uncle gets a great crop from growbags on the flat. He grows 30 plants every year, 3 plants to a grow bag and they're yielding ever bit as good as ones I've seen planted directly into rich soil.

To be fair to both of you, for over 20 years of comercial growing in the past, I have grown hundreds of thousands of tomatoes in growbags flat.

I think some gardener's tilt them on end to have a little more reserve of peat for watering, and grow less plants in a bag, as the standard when flat is three.


Mr TK

[VJay]

Doesn't tomatoes like large amounts of carbon dioxide in the air? What would be the best way of giving my plants their CD dose without stinking out the green house with cow manure? LOL