I planted a patch of 35 tomato plants yesterday. I'm trying to set up a watering system for them. I want it to be suitable for filling once a week so should hold as close to an inch over the root spread as possible. And to deliver the water as slowly as possible.
I'm thinking of putting a pin hole in the bottom of milk jugs half buried in the ground ( to minimize evaporation loss and so they don't blow away when they are empty). Tomato roots spread about two or three feet; each way, I think, so up to nine square feet. One inch of rain over a square foot of ground is about 0.62 gallons. So, 5 1/2 gallons per plant. That would be more milk jugs than I want to fill.
I have 15 gallon barrels. I don't really want to drill holes in them and one would water at least three plants. I think I might be able to set up a siphon system. Fix sections of tubing that reach the bottom of the barrel, go over the rim of the barrel then down to below ground level inside the milk jugs.
Maybe fill the milk jug a few inches with coarse sand or pebbles to stabilize the tubing and the jug. The volume in the jug would be less important than if it were not being filled from the barrel.
It is not ideal to deliver all the water to the one point but it might be good enough to be worth the time setting it up. Multiple jugs per tomato plant would help. Or a channeling system under the jugs. Maybe another year if this much works.
Does anyone see improvements?