Realized I was watering my tomatoes from the top this whole time

Last week I noticed the bottom leaves were all yellow and spotted, then my neighbor leaned over the railing and asked if I knew about blight from wet leaves, and it hit me that I've been doing it wrong for two summers straight.

2 comments

2 Comments

xena_miller311mo ago

Idk if this helps but I switched to drip irrigation last year and it made a huge difference. I got a cheap kit online and just ran the lines along the base of the plants. No more wet leaves, and the roots actually get a deep soak instead of just wetting the surface. My neighbor also told me to water in the morning so the leaves dry out fast if any splash happens.

jakep241mo ago

Has anyone thought about how drip irrigation actually changes the soil biology over time? I've been using it for three seasons now and I notice way more earthworms hanging around the emitter spots compared to when I used a sprinkler. The consistent moisture deep down seems to attract them, and they do all the aerating and nutrient cycling for free. Plus, you can add a simple timer from a hardware store for like fifteen bucks and set it to run at 5am so you never have to think about it again.