Drip Tape for Tomato

[stevenh]

Hi there,

This year I am scaling up my tomato product and will be running around 100 tomatoes in a florida weave configuration at 2 foot spacing with rows 5 feet apart. Couple questions about drip tape:

1. Can I use a 4, 6 or 12 inch drip spacing? Or do I need to find someone who will sell me 24? Said differently do I need to match the spacing of the drips to plant spacing or are the tomatoes happy being watered "in between"

2. Does it make sense to run two line - one on each side of the tomatoes? I am worried with one that I will be only watering half the roots.

Thanks!

 

[Chuck]

Tomatoes have a deep and wide root system with the width surpassing the drip line of the plant. I used a drip line on my tomatoes with emitters that were 1/2 gph and when in use would saturate over a one foot radius at the emitter. I have never used tape and do not know exactly how it works but if it works anyway similar to a drip line, one line running along the base of the plants is sufficient.

 

[Oliver Buckle]

I am going to try terracotta flower pots with the hole blocked and buried next to the plant this year, it's a cheap version of an oya.

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[YumYum]

I use drip tape with 12" spacings. My soil has a clayish content so 12" works ok but I wished they were spaced just a bit closer, maybe 8". If you have sandyish soil, then you'd surely want closer emitters. I have had to prop up a portion with soil or a rock so the water runs down the tape towards the nearest plant since I just lay mine on top of the soil.

One line per row is all you need.

 

[stevenh]

I use drip tape with 12" spacings. My soil has a clayish content so 12" works ok but I wished they were spaced just a bit closer, maybe 8". If you have sandyish soil, then you'd surely want closer emitters. I have had to prop up a portion with soil or a rock so the water runs down the tape towards the nearest plant since I just lay mine on top of the soil.

One line per row is all you need.

Appreciate the reply, is it ok to have plants spaced at 18-24 inches and then be using 8 or 12 inch drip spacing? Said differently is ok to not have the plant spacing match the drip spacing?

 

[YumYum]

The closer the emitters are, the better the drip line saturates the soil in a line. If the emitters are too far apart and you have sandy type soil, the water just goes straight down instead of puddling up. As long as one of the emitters is near the plant watering it, it should be ok.

 

[smitty55]

Be sure to keep in mind that if the soil in between your rows stays dry because you're only watering close to the plants that dry soil will suck moisture away from your plants and you take the chance of the soil drying out faster than you expect so you end up with more frequent fluctuations of soil moisture levels which is the worst thing that you want for tomatoes as that's one of the main causes of blossom end rot. So whatever spacing you use I would suggest having another line lets say 12" to16" on each side of your plant row. That would give you 3 drip lines per planted row which will help maintain stable moisture levels.