Topic: Another Tomato Question

[Emagggie]

A lottie neighbour very proudly showed me his new arrangement for direct watering and feeding his tomatoes.He has acquired some funnels and has stuck one in beside each tom plant.He says that the funnel is better for catching rain than a sunken flower pot.
Thought I could make the cheapskate version with the cut off top of a plastic bottle with pipe attached to  the neck for pushing in to the ground next to the root.
Has any one done similar? I must say it sounds ok in theory ! :-\

[Gadfium]

Other possible alternatives (but not tried yet):

1. 1 litre plastic milk carton - cut base off, keep cap screwed on. Take pin and jab some small holes in the plastic around the neck. Bury in growbag, neck down, with base protruding. Water into container... liquid will slowly leak out through pinholes, giving gentle watering/feeding.

2. Variation on the above - bit of soaker hose (or equivalent), one end stoppered with a cork, laid a couple of inches below growbag surface, the free end attached to a makeshift water container.

[SMP1704]

Gadfium

I have a version of your No 1 option in operation in my bean bed.  I have used 4 lt milk bottles and used a scissor blade to make a few slits at the cap end.  The water does soak out quite quickly, but then I want the water to create a moist zone for the bean roots.  I plan to do the same for the toms.

I think, in this respect it works well but to make it into a gentle soaker would require some very small holes.

Another option, for a faster flow, would just be to take the cap off and sink the bottle in.........

I can see how a funnel would probably be very efficient at collecting rain water - not sure if the milk/plastic bottle would be as effective, but a very good way of directing flow from a watering can.

HTH