OLLAS - BEST Watering System For Tomatoes

Find out what is the BEST Watering System For Tomatoes In Raised Beds. This year I upgraded my tomato irrigation system to ollas. In my opinion the best way to water tomatoes in raised beds.
This ceramic self-watering pot called ollas will make watering tomatoes so much effective. Find out how I made this self-watering clay pot, how often to water tomatoes and how to water tomato plants to prevent diseases.
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⏱️TIMESTAMPS⏱️
0:00 Intro on the best way to water tomatoes
3:22 How to water tomatoes
4:48 Self-watering clay pot (DIY)
7:15 How much water does a tomato plant need
8:34 How often to water tomatoes
9:29 When to water tomatoes
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I never knew that there is so many things you should know about watering tomatoes until I grow them last year. So, I decided to make a video that will teach you practically everything you need to know from how to water tomatoes to how much water does a tomato plant need. Hope you enjoy in the content!
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[@SmallGardenQuest]

To learn all about tomato pruning follow this link kzbin.info/www/bejne/epzVgniKh9Jrp80

[@schmittyschmit4599]

I love using ollas and mulch for water retention! I live in Tampa Florida and one issue I did see was that even with ollas installed, my tomatoes started to crack and the leaves started to turn yellow. I put a humidity tester in the ground and it read as wet. I think the issue is that the tomatoes are planted against the fence line. When it rains, it pours here and the fence is probably humid for a while too. Also, I think that there is less airflow because they are so close to the wood. I will put them on raised mounds of dirt and farther away from the fence line next planting season.

[@DrippingSpringsOLLAS]

We love ollas here! Ours are 2.9 gallons so they don't need filling very often. You're right, they work great with tomatoes!

[@SmallGardenQuest]

After this growing season I can say I am in love with ollas :)

[@machonr5329]

I wish I had seen this before I planted my tomatoes. I will be doing this next year.

[@SmallGardenQuest]

Don't you worry it's always next year to make it better 😊 the important part is that now you know what you will do

[@chrisannm5240]

Great video! This technique is also great for melons, squash etc. to keep water off the leaves where powdery mildew is a problem and is a great way to fertilizer heavy feeding plants as it gets to the plants roots and not just spread our into the open soil.

[@SmallGardenQuest]

I agree! And I am already thinking how to automate this method to make it even more self independent from my work :D I know I am lazy :p I just want to relax and enjoy in my garden :D

[@chrisannm5240]

@@SmallGardenQuest I am the opposite, my great pleasure in gardening is all the 'fussing about' with things many gardeners see as chores...putting up frames and netting, divising elaborate ways to keep slugs off my plants, putting up wind breaks and setting on cloches, making trellises...I just love being constantly busy with 'puttering' and tending and it allows me the maximum amount of time outdoors to listen to the birds and enjoy nature, I'm weird like that! 😄

[@SmallGardenQuest]

I also love building my garden but I don't like to water my plants nor weed the raised beds nor looking for slugs and other pests 😂

[@chrisannm5240]

@@SmallGardenQuest Uggg...slugs are such a huge problem here in my wet climate, there are thousands and somehow the word has gone out that I have planted a new garden, so I have been going out at night with a flashlight to hunt them down...that is not fun at all 😒

[@sibylc2908]

Such a great video, and thank you chrisann for your additional info about using this system to fertilize. I will be applying these techniques to my own garden.

[@rondanew9916]

We ordered a flat of olla's 6 year's ago I think they have been a great watering source. I'm able to leave the gardens alone for almost a week.

[@SmallGardenQuest]

That is awesome! I am in love with ollas and will repeat the process next year and I am thinking to expand to peppers also :)

[@LondonWorms]

Fantastic tip and excellent tutorial on how to do it. Thanks for sharing 😊👍

[@SmallGardenQuest]

Thank you! Cheers! I am so glad it was helpful!

[@gracecanon2872]

Excellent idea. I started it today as I had extra clay pots and we have been under a heat wave lately. Thank you.

[@SmallGardenQuest]

Wonderful! Please report how it will work for you :)

[@Dalje1960]

Thanks for the video. I will be using this next year. Great ideas.

[@SmallGardenQuest]

You are so welcome!

[@sibylc2908]

Another excellent video. I will definitely be doing this. Thank you!

[@SmallGardenQuest]

Your welcome! Thanks for stopping by in every video 😊

[@PopleBackyardFarm]

Love your thoughts on watering

[@SmallGardenQuest]

Thank you!

[@misskat3218]

Great idea!! I'm doing that this year! Thank you!!

[@SmallGardenQuest]

Wonderful! Let me know how it went! It works wonders for me :)

[@amyhood6562]

I’m going to try this next year

[@nancydaffin9490]

Thank you, this is very interesting, I will be trying this

[@SmallGardenQuest]

You’re welcome 😊

[@maryellenbattaglia2061]

Great idea oh yes. Trying it.

[@SmallGardenQuest]

Wonderful!

[@acts.412]

Excellent video thank you :)

[@UnderFathersFeatherz]

This is terrific, thank you!

[@SmallGardenQuest]

Glad you liked it! And I hope I will make more terrific videos for you :D

[@UnderFathersFeatherz]

@@SmallGardenQuest Me too , I am a newborn subscriber to your channel 💝

[@dorcaorgella9578]

It’s a lot of work but it’s amazing, great job👍🏼

[@SmallGardenQuest]

Yes, thank you

[@crazysquirrel9425]

A full sized mature tomato plant in the hot summer can use a gallon (4 liters) of water a day. Again, depends on the soil, mulch, sun, wind, etc. Generally Tomato plants need 1-2 inches (2.5 to 5.0 cm) a week, The key is to provide constant moisture without waterlogging. Even when using Ollas, you still may have to water.

[@SmallGardenQuest]

In my experience having my tomatoes under a hoop house in a windy and hot area they don't need to be watered if you fill your ollas and mulch the soil around the tomatoes. But yes your climate may be different. I think I get a lot of moisture from the ground because and because my native soil is clay it actualy hold a lot of water. If it would be sand I would probably need to water more yes 😊 Will try to water my plants this year with the combination of using ollas to see if I see any difference

[@yaima0901]

I live in Texas sun+dry weather was killing all my tomatoes I had to cover them and watering is a pain😑 so I think you’re right this is an excellent help to keep the soil moisture but I still need to water them...

[@markpnw8745]

This is outstanding

[@SmallGardenQuest]

Thank you for stopping by and leaving a comment. I appreciate it!

[@markpnw8745]

Building new raised beds this summer going to add this to them. Also be adding some bug cloth simular to what you have. I'll look thru your videos see if I can find the build.

[@SmallGardenQuest]

I have videos on how I build my raised beds 😊

[@dmariewalker6880]

That’s interesting but too late for me to try it, perhaps next year! I have sandy soil & growing some tomatoes in 5 gallons buckets and a raised tote. The past two weeks has been very hot, in the 90’s with heat index at 101 and the tops of a couple plants were drooping, I normally water in the evening. I have 4 indeterminate tomatoes in the ground & give 1 gallon water each plant, so far so good, small tomatoes are forming and this evening I will be pruning. My first time growing tomatoes, only bc I want to can some Salsa. My pepper plants in container too. My sweet peas and beans are in ground. So I subbed, for more great advice! Thanks!

[@lmullens75]

Wow! Just saw this video as a suggestion, and it really was something useful! Your English is very good & I understood everything! Do you think the spacing of the plants needs to be closer than 12 inches? Is there an ideal spacing?

[@SmallGardenQuest]

Happy to hear that! No I wouldn't go closer than 12 inches if you don't have a roof to protect your tomatoes and you have humid air in the summer I would suggest to go 24 inches.

[@sweetgramma]

Do you have any recommendations for using this system without a cover over the plants, like possibly just going outside and putting plastic over them until the rain is gone?

[@karenwhitehouse5771]

best yet,mate,,i been researching best ways.... to water toms,,and mostly when and how much water got 2 ways so far which is urs way and a 2 ltr bottle,,going to try both,,,

[@SmallGardenQuest]

Just do it :) I had wonderful results with this technique

[@karenwhitehouse5771]

@@SmallGardenQuest cheers mate

[@ruheluddin9384]

Very clever, thanks! What mulch is best to use?

[@SmallGardenQuest]

Whatever you can find locally for free or as cheap as possible

[@ronbuono9096]

What are the size of the pots?

[@ivy3134]

Won't the chemicals in the cement go into the water? (Sorry if this is explained in the video, captions take up the screen and audio isn't an option rn)

[@SmallGardenQuest]

Nah the chemicals in the tile cement are food grade :) you can have tile counter tops in the kitchen :)

[@ivy3134]

@@SmallGardenQuest That's awesome :0 thank you!

[@koreanoguy95]

Great video! One question - Can I fill the ollas with liquid fertilizer (fish fertilizer) or is it not recommended?

[@SmallGardenQuest]

Great question. I wouldn't because it can clog the pores

[@koreanoguy95]

@@SmallGardenQuest thought so. One more question - how much sq. ft does one ollas cover? I was thinking about placing one every 3 sq. ft but not sure if this is enough

[@dianastoevelaar9548]

@@koreanoguy95 I know you asked your question a year ago, but when I looked at the video it looks like he has five in a 4”x 8’ garden.

[@SalGuelphON]

So how many ollas do you put in a 8x4 sq ft raised garden?

[@LauraWagner-gy4xz]

How often do you fill the pots?

[@johnfriedhof3690]

How many tomato plants do you plants around 1 Olla?

[@hersheyqueenlisa]

Can you add fertilizer to the water? Will it pass through the pot and nourish the plant?

[@SmallGardenQuest]

If is soluble in water than yes you can add it and it will pass :)

[@thepumagator]

Can I fill my ollas with hose water? Or will it have too much contaminant

[@SmallGardenQuest]

You can. its not ideal but you can. the chlorine in the tap water will evaporate in 24h so wont leach in to your soil.

[@Paul-lv4kd]

is this better than drip irrigation for tomatoes?

[@SmallGardenQuest]

In my opinion yes, because drip irrigation will wet the top part of the soil where there are no roots. The ollas on the other hand will wet the soil deep down where the roots are :)

[@timshelton7905]

I'm trying one of these in my tomatoes. Honestly, it isn't working well. Been 2 weeks for the water to leech out only about halfway. Not much rain or top watering. The tomatoes around the olla are leaf curling while my plants that are not around it are fine. I don't blame the method or the olla directly, but it isn't doing what I'd hoped and that was merely to water the tomatoes from the ground.

[@SmallGardenQuest]

Sorry to hear that. Did you used unglazed pots? I didn't had any problems with them the whole season and my tomatoes are growing in a hoop house so they don't get any rain water.

[@granny65hummingbird21]

Use unglazed pots and make sure terracotta and not something else. Soak the pots in a bucket or trash can or tote before placing in garden.

[@davidschmidt270]

How important is it to use non glazed pots???

[@SmallGardenQuest]

Very important because the glaze will block the pores that let water pass to the soil

[@dwwcoder5048]

Would this technically work for all root plants?

[@samanthaking8753]

What size diameter are the pots?

[@SmallGardenQuest]

Hey the pots are about 8 inches wide and about 1,3 gallons. But you can use whatever size you have on hand

[@deborahprizzia6934]

I dont understand what you are saying is in the bag. what is it ?

[@SmallGardenQuest]

Tile cement

[@mirkolavrih6153]

Kako pa gre voda ven iz lonca . a so kakšne luknje , ne razumem nič angleško :( Lep dan .

[@SmallGardenQuest]

Glinene posode so porozne in skozi njih pronica voda katera počasi omoči okolišnjo zemljo. Na tem delu videa se to lepo vidi kako voda pronica vn in se vidi do točno katere mere sem natočil vodo v lonec. kzbin.info/www/bejne/sIXYq2yeesl7f8U