Irrigation doubts

[elhuerto]

I'm located in Spain and have looked at the allotments of the neighbours and they use irrigation channels, making a small trough in a line and then planting on the side or top or top / side of the heaped soil next to the shallow channel. The logic is obvious, we don't get much rain and they water in the troughs so the water runs along and gets to all plants in the line. It's the accepted way to do things and I imagine they've been doing this for centuries.

Tomorrow I'll be planting out my toms and can't decide whether to follow their method or do what I did last year and plant on the flat and then mulch around the plants. My worry about using the local method is that I can see the roots getting exposed quite easily and an uneven watering, on the other hand everybody does things this way so it must be quite effective.

Does anyone have any thoughts on the pros and cons?

Cheers!

[elhuerto]

[GrannieAnnie]

If their crops look good I'd just ask them if they have any root exposure problems.

Also, might they have another little unseen step they're doing when mounding the soil?

[tricia]

I lived in Spain (Catalunia) for 11 years and the local market gardeners always used this method on their fincas. They would put the hosepipe at the end of each row once a week and give it a thorough soaking. It was done for tomatoes, asparagus, peppers, aubergines, artichokes etc. Their yields were fantastic - I know as I was often a recipient of their generosity!

Tricia

[antipodes]

I always grow tomatoes through plastic and I water through bottles shoved into it, so it is never just on top of the plastic. I find that works really well.
Strangely enough, in Europe I find they have not the notion of mulching that much, I am one of the few on my lot to do it, and it works very well in hot weather.

[Robert_Brenchley]

I'm the only one on my site who mulches seriously.

[Digeroo]

The channel  method sounds wasteful in water.  I am a great mulcher.  Perhaps you should try an experiment with some of each. 

[elhuerto]

I forgot to reply to the post so belated thanks to those that answered.

In the end I went for extra mulch (not common here either). It's been quite warm here this week (24º to 27º), been planting out in the evening and no problems from plants wilting so far.