Watering system for Greenhouse

[Jonno70]

Anyone got any tips for watering my Tomato plants when I am away for 5 days ? Tried the spikes that attach to a 2L bottle but they drained to quickly. Thinking of soaking them and covering the soil with a mulch of cardboard but I fear this will soon dry out.
Thanks

 

[Jared]

Wicking system?
Can have big water reservoir(s) as needed, and just run multiple cords lengths from the water to plants.

 

[Jonno70]

Cheers Jared watched a youtube video of the very same thing a few moments ago will give it a go.

 

[TeeDee]

Possibility

 

[Machiavelli]

When I go away for a week I just sit them in trays of water. Tends not to cause any issues until fruiting (when they can split). Did exactly that last week and came back to triffids.

 

[Jonno70]

Never really had much success with Toms not sure why . Another question do you shade the plants from direct sun? Thanks for the responses.

 

[Condex]

Anyone got any tips for watering my Tomato plants when I am away for 5 days ? Tried the spikes that attach to a 2L bottle but they drained to quickly. Thinking of soaking them and covering the soil with a mulch of cardboard but I fear this will soon dry out.
Thanks

 

[Condex]

First
My father lots of tomato plants and use the method of “fertilising” them and watering in to some degree at the same time.

This consisted of putting a small or large depending on the size of the bush can into the ground besides the plant, emptied of soil. The can have the top and the bottom cut off so it’s only the tube. He would then collect pig manure preferably or other make a slurry of it.

He would then fill each cans when ever low but once week would be typical.

If you are worried about watering and not bushcraft methods but want to have tomatoes when you come back from a meet well Lidil’s this week has a watering timer £12 for timer for irrigation. Job done

 

[Jonno70]

Thanks Condex will have a look at the Lidl timer. My Grandad used to have us collecting sheep muck as kids it all went into a barrel of water in a sack and that was his liquid feed didn't half pong though.

 

[Billy-o]

I ask my neighbours to do the honours, and return the favour when they are away.

 

[Jonno70]

Yes be nice to have that option but I found the old fella next door wandering around my plot last year so I would rather not encourage him as he was told to keep off.

 

[Billy-o]

There's these Ollas, Jonno70

3 Litre Olla - Lee Valley Tools

www.leevalley.com

Might be the basis of an idea

 

[Astrochicken]

We've just been away for 9 days and I made a simple plastic tray out of an old plastic mattress bag that the delivery company used when we bought it. We have smaller plant / seedling trays at the moment and we were worried about them drying out / dying, so we put a woollen furniture blanket inside the tray and soaked it with water as a capillary mat. I had some old plywood and made a frame to keep the plastic in shape and all the plants survived and the blanket was still damp when we returned. Furniture blankets are extremely cheap and can be useful in Winter to wrap more vulnerable plants that you might keep over Winter in a greenhouse / indoors.

 

[timditda]

I've got a 5m polytunnel and last year I picked up a micro irrigation kit and water timer off ebay for under £30 for both. The kit was a bit fiddly to set up but when pegged in place it works a treat, money well spent.

 

[chjo]

Was away for 5 days and all good sat the Toms in a seedling/propogater tray still damp when I returned. Will look into some sort of irrigation kit for next spring as it would mean a few less trips to water the greenhouse.