Should I use tomato drip feeders?

[haza1981]

Hi Guys,

Are those little tomato feeders that you stick in the soil upside down any good? I have some in at the moment and i'm not sure if it's wise or not. If it was wise I was intending to refill tith a tomatorite solution when it was empty.

Thanks

Also a bit different but saves me doing another thread. How do you tell if your plant is a tumbler or not? I have several unmarked verieties and i'm not sure wether to pinch sideshoots or not.. The ones I have got marked are Cedric,shirley and beef.

Thanks again

[Jimmy]

As for the feeders, personally I don't trust the things.

I always use two of those wide mouth 2 litre plastic milk containers. Cut the bottom off and sink two upside down in a growbag between three toms.

I then water/feed with the watering can and water with the hose pipe.

If you are on holiday and a neighbor waters, is much easier if you just say "top the bottles up using the hose pipe" and very quick.

As for bush/corden that's a tricky one. Basically you can make both cordens or bush.

Normally the bush look a bit squatter and bushier but it still a chancy thing.

I think "shirley and beef." will be corden.

Jimmy

[Farmer_Gyles]

i used drip feeders last year - the tomatoes were in 10" pots - the roots didnt grow very deep and not a brilliant crop of tomatoes - got a feeling the drip feeding kept only the top of the compost wet so the roots didn't need to spread deeply
not bothering with the drip feeder this year, except if i'm away for weekends

[haza1981]

I think I may have confused what I meant

I mean these types... the ones you use with watering also