Can we talk about how I spent 3 summers overwatering my tomato plants?

I was out there every evening with the hose for at least 10 minutes per plant, thinking more water meant bigger tomatoes. Then my neighbor from down the street told me my leaves were turning yellow from root rot, not dehydration. Anyone else figure out they were killing their garden with kindness?

3 comments

3 Comments

park.aaron13d ago

Isn't that basically how we learn half of everything, by messing it up first?

the_drew13d ago

more water meant bigger tomatoes" - I did the exact same thing my first year. I was watering every day until a neighbor showed me to stick my finger in the soil about two inches. If it's still damp, leave it alone. Switched to a soaker hose on a timer, twice a week, early morning. Plants did way better after that.

river_thompson13d ago

Ha! Yeah, my finger turned into a soil moisture detector that first summer. I was drowning those poor plants before I figured out the same trick. Now I just stick my hand in the dirt like I'm checking if the laundry is dry. Works way better than guessing.