Cool ambient soil temperatures will affect plant growth, flower bud formation, and taste. Water walls will insulate against cold temperatures and help increase your harvest yields.
Name: Paul Utah (Zone 5b) Grandchildren are my greatest joy.
My use of water walls is a little different than the excellent article written by Joannabanana. Most years here in Utah we start getting spring like weather and nice days in mid- March and I get an urge to plant some tomatoes, Problem is that last reliable frost date is mid-May so I get out my water walls and buy some tomato plants. I plant the tomatoes and water in with warm water with a little fertilizer. Then I put a bucket or nursery pot over the plant and put the water wall over the container. I then use a 2 gallon water can and fill the wall using very warm water from the house. This is a good 2 person job. When the wall is full of water carefully remove the container. I leave the walls on for about 2 months. Sometimes we have a frost and I have had ice in the wall but the tomato was fine. Sometimes the plant grows out of the top of the wall and the top freezes but the lower portion and root system are fine. Depending on the weather I remove the walls in the first part of May, put on my tomato cages which are covered with clear plastic. The plastic provides a warm enviroment and then it is removed it in early June when it is dependably warm. By now plants have extensive root systems and plants are often in bloom. I shake the tomato cages to encourage pollination. Then I patiently wait for the first vine-ripe tomato Tomato plants in early summer
They certainly do help get a early start. The first year, I had removed them in in June , but find that for our area it is best to leave them in place the entire growing season. They really help in later season to deep water.
Name: Paul Utah (Zone 5b) Grandchildren are my greatest joy.
We have a relatively long growing season and can get near 100 degrees in July-August so that is the reason I remove them. While the walls are on the plants only require very occasional watering. Thanks for the great article. I went and looked at tomatoes a few days ago......
I have used these in the past when I lived in Michigan , they were nice and easy , but tomatoes did not develop a nice strong stem . I had to be very careful not to break the main stem when removing the wall of water. I only used them a couple years .
Kudos to your neighbor, then! Not like it's impossible to remove it after summer warms up, but as you said, it'll help if you're watering with a hose (mostly I use soaker hoses for bottom watering)... I'm also thinking it'll keep bunnies away from the base of the plant, maybe kinda sorta. LOL