I rigged up a drip system for my tomatoes using 1GPH drip emitters, but
I'm not sure about the time or frequency to run the water. I read about
someone else in this area (Sacramento, CA) who used a drip system and
they had 4 -1GPH emitters on each plant and they ran it 3 hours every 5
days. That puts about 12 gallons of water on each plant each week.

My system has 1 emitter per plant and I have been running it every
other day for 2 hours. That puts about 6 gallons of water on each
plant.

I know tomatoes usually need between an inch and two inches of water a
week, but I don't know how to translate that to 1GPH drip emitters.

Can anyone give me some hints?

In article ,
Fat Freddy wrote:
I rigged up a drip system for my tomatoes using 1GPH drip emitters, but
I'm not sure about the time or frequency to run the water. I read about
someone else in this area (Sacramento, CA) who used a drip system and
they had 4 -1GPH emitters on each plant and they ran it 3 hours every 5
days. That puts about 12 gallons of water on each plant each week.

My system has 1 emitter per plant and I have been running it every
other day for 2 hours. That puts about 6 gallons of water on each
plant.

I know tomatoes usually need between an inch and two inches of water a
week, but I don't know how to translate that to 1GPH drip emitters.

Can anyone give me some hints?

You need an equivalent surface area to calculate volume from depth;
then consider that 1 gallon = 231 in^3. If you used, for example,
a radius of 18", then each inch of depth would be equivalent to:

pi * r^2 * h (volume of cylinder)

~1017 in^3

~4.4 gallons

This approximation ignores diffusion to areas away from the plant,
rate of drainage (soil type), surface and air temperature (evaporation
and transpiration rates), and many other un-named factors.

We use lots less water than most -- but mulch and a cooler climate
help a lot. You can adjust the amount of water based on how well
the plant does on your initial guess.

-frank
--

I run a drip emitter system on my tomatoes. They get watered for an hour
every other day in the summer with about 1 1/2 gph worth of drip per plant.

I used to have a link to a webpage that gave the guidelines for about how
many gallons per plant are needed but I don't have it offhand.

"Fat Freddy" wrote in message
t...
I rigged up a drip system for my tomatoes using 1GPH drip emitters, but
I'm not sure about the time or frequency to run the water. I read about
someone else in this area (Sacramento, CA) who used a drip system and
they had 4 -1GPH emitters on each plant and they ran it 3 hours every 5
days. That puts about 12 gallons of water on each plant each week.

My system has 1 emitter per plant and I have been running it every
other day for 2 hours. That puts about 6 gallons of water on each
plant.

I know tomatoes usually need between an inch and two inches of water a
week, but I don't know how to translate that to 1GPH drip emitters.

Can anyone give me some hints?

"Fat Freddy" wrote in message
t...
I rigged up a drip system for my tomatoes using 1GPH drip emitters, but
I'm not sure about the time or frequency to run the water. I read about
someone else in this area (Sacramento, CA) who used a drip system and
they had 4 -1GPH emitters on each plant and they ran it 3 hours every 5
days. That puts about 12 gallons of water on each plant each week.

My system has 1 emitter per plant and I have been running it every
other day for 2 hours. That puts about 6 gallons of water on each
plant.

I know tomatoes usually need between an inch and two inches of water a
week, but I don't know how to translate that to 1GPH drip emitters.

Can anyone give me some hints?


Here's link that might help:
http://www.digcorp.com/diy/inst_7.htm#anchor572083
I used this as a guideline when I installed mine. Seems to have worked just
fine in sandy Florida soil.
Mack
--
"Never Try to Teach a Pig to Sing. It's a Waste of Time and It Just Annoys
the Pig."

On 20 May 2003 12:17:12 -0500, Fat Freddy
wrote:

I rigged up a drip system for my tomatoes using 1GPH drip emitters, but
I'm not sure about the time or frequency to run the water. I read about
someone else in this area (Sacramento, CA) who used a drip system and
they had 4 -1GPH emitters on each plant and they ran it 3 hours every 5
days. That puts about 12 gallons of water on each plant each week.

My system has 1 emitter per plant and I have been running it every
other day for 2 hours. That puts about 6 gallons of water on each
plant.

I know tomatoes usually need between an inch and two inches of water a
week, but I don't know how to translate that to 1GPH drip emitters.

Can anyone give me some hints?

At the risk of offending all of those who are calculating their way to
an answer, have you looked at the plants? Watering will depend on
your soil, your climate, your plants, and your garden layout. They
will need varying amounts of water as they become larger. They will
need varying amounts of water as the season progresses (assuming that
it becomes relatively more dry in mid summer).

Watch the leaves toward the end of the day and supply enough water
that they do not droop or curl. The soil in the root zone should
remain moist (not wet).

Your eyes will tell you.

Fat Freddy wrote in message et...
I rigged up a drip system for my tomatoes using 1GPH drip emitters, but
I'm not sure about the time or frequency to run the water. I read about
someone else in this area (Sacramento, CA) who used a drip system and
they had 4 -1GPH emitters on each plant and they ran it 3 hours every 5
days. That puts about 12 gallons of water on each plant each week.

My system has 1 emitter per plant and I have been running it every
other day for 2 hours. That puts about 6 gallons of water on each
plant.

I know tomatoes usually need between an inch and two inches of water a
week, but I don't know how to translate that to 1GPH drip emitters.

Can anyone give me some hints?

First off, with mulch 1/2 inch a week is plenty, at least in my case.
Plus I have noticed that plentiful water produces inferior tomatoes,
at least here in Michigan, though that will probably not be true in
CA.

Fat Freddy wrote:

I rigged up a drip system for my tomatoes using 1GPH drip emitters, but
I'm not sure about the time or frequency to run the water. I read about
someone else in this area (Sacramento, CA) who used a drip system and
they had 4 -1GPH emitters on each plant and they ran it 3 hours every 5
days. That puts about 12 gallons of water on each plant each week.

My system has 1 emitter per plant and I have been running it every
other day for 2 hours. That puts about 6 gallons of water on each
plant.

I know tomatoes usually need between an inch and two inches of water a
week, but I don't know how to translate that to 1GPH drip emitters.

Can anyone give me some hints?

I always wonder, doesn't it rain out there or you growing them in a
greenhouse? In a reasonably normal year here on the east coast I
rarely water the tomatoes. Stick a finger in the dirt about 3" and if
it is moist, I do not water.

--
Susan N.

There are 10 types of people in the world. Those who understand binary and those who do not.

"simy1" wrote in message
om...
Plus I have noticed that plentiful water produces inferior tomatoes,
at least here in Michigan, though that will probably not be true in
CA.

I know that when the tomatoes are about to ripen I cut back on the water to
help them be sweeter.

I always wonder, doesn't it rain out there or you growing them in a
greenhouse?

It never rains here in the Sacramento Valley in the summer. It is lush
and green only because everything is irrigated. If it weren't for the
rivers that bring water down from the snow in the Sierra Nevada
mountains, this would be an arid region.

Hahaha, I just let God take care of all that. All I do is plant, fertilize and
water when needed. Plants seem to be doing fine. Harvest was good this week.
;-)
:-)

/z.