Gardening Aids

[ChattyCathy]

I started watering less and about killed my plants.  In fact one zucchinni plant dried up the day after I didn't water it.  (I forgot about it not being a tomato plant).

So I'm back to keeping my tomatoes alive and sticking with my original watering plan.

And my huge Roma tomato plant is actually a Yellow Pear tomato.  By the shape, I thought they were Roma, but when they never turned red, I asked my daughter, who purchased them at the hardware store, if she bought yellow tomatoes - and she apparently did and forgot.  They are sure yummy!

This is our first time gardening, so we'll learn to label plants in the future.  We've been enjoying green leaf, red leaf, and romaine lettuce - and now I can add yellow tomatoes to my salad!

[superMom]

CC I know the traditional tomato watering wisdom says to let "their feet get dry" (my grandma's phrase) between waterings, but honestly if you do that here they would be dead, especially if they are planted directly in the ground.  I have had GREAT luck with the Burpee tomato automator(see red contraptions above).  I fill them twice in the morning, and that is it for watering.  While my plants don't sound as big as some of the rest of yours, they are thriving and setting actual tomatoes this year (last year they set zip - think it was a bee thing at my house). 
I water everything once a day in the morning, and it seems to be working out. 

[lagomorphmom]

You know, I think those red water pans wind up giving a similar result to drip watering. Fwiw, I've switched our drip to late afternoon as Nolena suggested and agree the results are much better. I sure wouldn't do it down the hill because of fear of fungus, but up here where it's dry, I agree it's superior.

[in my dreams]

Re red watering pans: I don't know how usefull the drip factor is, but the red color makes a difference. Persuing a new career, I took a bunch of horticulture classes at Mt Sac in Walnut before my son was born, (6 or so yrs ago), and there was a university research project testing the effects of various tarp colors used under plants. Red was a winner. I went to Burpee's site to see if they mentioned it, they didn't (at a quick glance), but they do sell red tarp "mulch film" for larger plantings in-ground. It benefits more than tomatoes, as I recall. Its reflecting particular rays from the sun that increase growth--don't remember the specifics.

[Nolena]

Here's part of an explanation from:
M. D. Orzolek and L. Otjen
Department of Horticulture
The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802

 "Different colors will absorb and reflect different wavelengths of light and plants are very sensitive to the color of light their leaves intercept from the sun and reflected surfaces. Red and far- red light (between 600 and 800 nanometers) produce the largest growth responses in plants. Light that has a lower far-red to red OT,/R) ratio will cause a plant to develop shorter stems and larger roots (Table 1). A higher FR/R ratio will cause a plant to direct more new growth into shoots, resulting in a taller plant with more leaves. Different mulch colors reflect different wavelengths and thus different FR/R ratios."

http://plasticulture.cas.psu.edu/RedMulch.htm

[in my dreams]

Well there you go!
O.K.--one thing to miss about Ontario--my yard is a near perfect sandy clay loam (little on the sandy side) and has a neutral PH. All I have to do is stick in the ground and sometimes water it, and it grows. Maybe I'll have to get some red plastic for WW. . .

[superMom]

Maybe just bring a dump truck load of that perfect sandy clay loam soil for your new garden...and some red plastic

[in my dreams]

It would be a fair trade--I'm taking a bunch of rocks out of my yard to decorate the old yard (not sold yet. . .)