tomato watering

I use 5-7 gal. containers for my tomatoes. My first tomato ended up with tomato end rot. I water using a watering can, every 3 days ( eg. sat am to tue am ). Is this too long between watering, and if so, how long should it be between waterings? Thanks!

scompton, there's no set time between waterings. Growing tomato plants in the ground, I like to let them get dry almost to the point of wilting, then deep-water. In containers, I'd watch them more closely and probably water more often, as you are.

Blossom end rot has to do with the plant's uptake of calcium, and it can be brought on by uneven watering. Since you're on a regular watering schedule though, I doubt that's the cause.

You said this was your first tomato and blossom end rot often happens (no matter what you do) early in the season, and to just a few tomatoes - then it quits. It's like young tomato plants need a little practice to get the uptake of minerals thing figured out properly, and then they soon get it right and you'll see no more BER.

Hopefully, that's all that's going on with your plants.

You could add a "Tums" to the water as a precaution?

Every year I plant Roma tomatoes and a few tomatoes get blossom rot . The other types do not, and they are all planted in the same garden bed . On the package it states that Roma are disease resistant , I do not know why I have this problem. I have added crushed eggshells and coffee grinds this year and I notice not many get the blossom rot.

Roma tomatoes are famous for being susceptible to Blossom End Rot. Blossom End Rot is a tricky thing. One of my first tomatoes (Siberian Pink Honey) had it this morning and I gave the plant all kinds of Bio-Minerals when I planted it. It has rained hard every afternoon or evening for the last 3 days after a period of no rain so there has definitely been inconsistency. I was surprised to find it on this variety but then it is only my second year growing it so I don't know its history or tendencies.

Sometimes Mother Nature makes it hard to be consistent! I want to add more lime or Bio-Minerals and feed the plants again but I don't want to add any more water at the moment and my food is liquid fish fertilizer so I have to wait.

Yes guardadore , I gave mine fish emulsion too and bonemeal and only watered if it did not rain. These plants are really finicky . I think when my seed pack is finish I will not plant Roma's again might stick with Steak and Bush.

Well if you are growing in containers, even with a lot of rain, it's best to fertilize with a water based solution because nutrients get washed out quickly. I had BER last year on a couple of varieties until it straightened itself out. I've never been able to grow the Roma types with any degree of success. Don't think they like the growing conditions! I grow almost entirely in containers and fertilize every couple of days with a 1/4 strength solution. Just keep an eye out for how dry it gets. The smaller the container the faster it will dry out. Mulching helps.
Sharon

I'm watering my tomatoes in a different way this year, and I like the way it's working. Even though I know better, in the past I planted tomatoes in the same row most every year - it's real handy to plant them 3' apart along the south wire fence that encloses my garden. I've got a soaker hose cut the right length for that row, and that's how I watered them.

This year I put in more effort and did better. I moved the tomatoes to a far end of the garden and planted them out in the middle, 7' between plants, 6' between (3) rows. Each plant is in a tall tomato cage made of fence wire. This worked well - I've had NO fungus disease on the lower branches this year because, I guess, those spores were not in the ground from previous seasons in this part of the garden.

Having the plants so far apart means I need to till between them frequently for weed control, and it makes watering them with a soaker hose impractical. Instead, I saved one-gallon plastic milk jugs, drilled four 1/4" diameter holes in the bottom of each jug, and put a couple of inches of small rocks in the bottom of each. Each plant has a milk jug sitting on the ground close underneath it, and to water I just go along the rows with a garden hose and fill each milk jug.

It takes a while for the jugs to empty, and that slow-waters each tomato plant with a gallon of water every time I do it, while leaving the ground between plants clear for tilling. Easy.

Hi Ozark, I have seen the milk jug method on a video and I think I will try it next year. I will see if the Roma's do better. Thanks for that tip.