"Stephen Younge" wrote:

Howdy!

I am growing a variety of tomatoes in pots and in the ground. Lately, the
very hot days are causing the tomatoes to thrive, and I finally have about
15 green tomatoes on my Early Girl, which is the furthest along.
Clay pots dry faster and will need more water. I have dwarf sunflowers
growing in small 4" pots and I water them twice a day on hot days.
After a warm night I often find a dead-looking lump of green hanging
off the side of the pot. However the bigger the pot the better the
retention. Make sure when you do water it you water deeply. I usually
water my big one with a quick layer of water across the topsoil, then
let it seep while I work on other plants, come back for another short
bath and then back to others. By the third check I usually see water
coming out the bottom and know I've got water down through a
reasonable amount of the dirt.

By late afternoon, the tomatoes are in shade, looking healthy but the soil
is somewhat dry. I know it is bad for any plants to be wet overnight
(because it encourages pests). But should I give these plants another shot
of water at this time to moisten the soil for any overnight growth that
occurs? Do the tomatoes just sleep overnight or do they grow?

Stephen
Boulder, CO


DiGiTAL ViNYL (no email)
Zone 6b/7, Westchester Co, NY, 1 mile off L.I.Sound
1st Year Gardener