Feeding Toms

[Davyburns]

I have seen lots of references of feeding Tomatoes from the bottom, but I was always taught that the feeding roots are very shallow and the water roots go far deeper.

can anyone confirm which is more accurate?

If you do feed from the bottom, does this mean that you keep water constantly in the tray the pots are standing in? with 3 pots in a growbag tray, even a half inch of water seems to last forever

[smc999]

I've always fed from the top and watered from the bottom. Its worked well for me this way around.

[Two_Sheds]

I put a dilute feed in the watering tray and stand the pots in for 10 mins or so. Larger heavier pots have their own saucer, into which the feed & water goes.

Plants "in the wild" don't get fed from the top: their roots go down and seek nutrients from the soil, same as they seek water

[colser]

a reasonable chunk of nutrients that plants in the wild get comes from rotting matter on the surface

[mcsee]

Tomato feeder roots are close to the surface.

[womble]

Would putting comfrey leaves around tomato plants have any effect in the growing year at all. They would take a long time to rot down enough to go into the soil.

[Two_Sheds]

Tomato feeder roots are close to the surface.

They are above the water roots, but I'm still not convinced of the need to feed on top and water below. The ring culture method utilises the feeder roots, and suggests that you should earth up your toms as they grow. This encourages more (feeder) roots to grow.
I'm still going to be putting my liquid feed in the watering tray

[mcsee]

It all comes down to personal choice how you feed your plants and if watering and feeding in a saucer works for you, that's all that counts.

Davy, one thing wrong with constantly leaving the saucer of water under the pot is that once the capillary action has sucked up enough water to saturate the soil/compost, the air porosity in the soil/compost is greatly reduced, which in turn will only put a strain on the plant growth.

[Flummery]

I know the theory but I always water and feed from the top. Basically, I'm a lazy beggar!

[buzzingtalk]

I water from the bottom and feed from the top these days, although once the tops get bigger I am not sure i'll be able to water from below as moving the pots about will become a massive chore, and i can't afford to buy trays for them all.

[Flummery]

Once they are in the ground you have to water and feed from the top, don't you?

[chris]

I need to find a tray large enough for my toms, they're in morrisons buckets now - so currently am watering from above.. Previously in their 3,5, and 7" pots they were in sauces, watered from below.

Don't really rate this B&Q peat free compost btw, not much growth has taken place since putting them in it :/

[mcsee]

Once they are in the ground you have to water and feed from the top, don't you?

I guess it depends, as we get extreme temperatures during the growing season (Feb 7 2009 was 49c, but often 40-44c) and I improvise with these tubes (photo) which are 45cm long and go under the plant. Then a drip system is placed in these so the water 'goes down the tube'.

[Potstubsdustbins]

Whilst I understand the best way to water small pots is from the bottom once my toms are good sized plants and in their final place I both water and feed from the top.

Question. When the plants are growing in the wild who nips round to feed or water them from the bottom?

Colin

[Davyburns]

Question. When the plants are growing in the wild who nips round to feed or water them from the bottom?

Colin

Mother Nature I think. The feed in the wild will normally be from below. They will get the odd rainstorm (they are from S America) but I would think that they get most of the sustenance from below