Watering Tomato Plants | D.R. Snell Nursery (2024)

FAQs

Watering Tomato Plants | D.R. Snell Nursery? ›

Tomato plants should be watered 2-3 times a week in the height of summer or when natural rain is lacking. A deep soaking rain counts and supplemental watering should be adjusted whenever Mother Nature lends a hand with watering chores.

Water correctly: Do not overwater. The first week tomato plants are in the ground, they need water every day, but back off watering after the first week, slowly weaning the plants down to 1 to 1.5 inches of water per week.

Tomatoes should stay in consistently moist soil, but the soil should not get soggy. You will likely need to water every day, but if it has rained heavily in the past 24 hours, it may not be necessary. A good idea is to plan to water every day but to do a visual check first.

The importance of proper watering for tomato plants

But too much or too little water can spell trouble for your tomato plants. Overwatering can lead to root rot, suffocating the roots and impeding their ability to absorb oxygen. This can result in stunted growth, yellowing leaves, and even death of the plant.

The signs of overwatering tomato plants are yellow, blistered or wilting leaves. Stems may turn yellow, too. To check if you are overwater, put your finger into the soil to assess how wet it is.

Remember that pots dry out quickly. Water potted tomato plants daily at the soil level. You'll know you've watered enough when the water trickles through the pot's drainage holes. A mature tomato plant in a pot uses a gallon of water daily but you may need to hydrate the plant twice a day in hot, dry conditions.

From wilting to yellow leaves and blossom drop, these are signs you may be underwatering your tomatoes. Make the necessary adjustments to your watering routine to bring your plant back to good health.

Because of this, tomato plants growing in sandy soil may need to be watered more often, about every three or four days. Clay soil, on the other hand, holds water well. Plants growing in clay soil usually only need to be watered once a week.

Tomatoes thrive in loamy soils with good drainage and high organic matter content. Adding composted coffee grounds to planting beds is a great way to build healthy soil for tomato planting but won't provide all the required nutrients.

Some growers prefer to use a high-phosphorus fertilizer, indicated by a larger middle number. You can also keep things simple with a fertilizer especially formulated for tomatoes – usually with a ratio like 3-4-6 or 4-7-10. Most importantly, don't over-fertilize. Too little fertilizer is always better than too much.

How much water is 1 inch? ›

Some plants, especially edible crops, come with specific irrigation instructions such as "provide one inch of water per week." One inch of water is 0.68 gallons per square foot.

In general, determinate tomatoes tend to do better in pots, so look for those. It's also possible to grow indeterminate tomatoes in containers, of course, as long as you provide enough support and soil volume.

Always water at the base of the plant — watering from above invites disease. Check tomatoes growing in pots often since they dry out quickly. Be consistent — fluctuations in water supply lead to cracking and blossom end rot. Tomatoes need 1-2 inches of water per week, depending on the weather.

The Best Method for Watering Your Tomato Plants

Tomato plants should be watered at their base, slowly and deeply.

Ripening Fruit

Starting in mid-August, blossoms on large-fruited varieties will not mature and ripen before the end of the season. Remove blossoms and small fruit to encourage ripening of the remaining tomatoes. Reduce or stop watering about mid- to late-August to stress the plant and encourage ripening.

Watering. Water tomato plants regularly to keep the soil or compost evenly moist. Fluctuating moisture levels can cause problems with the fruit, such as splitting or blossom end rot (see Problems, below). Plants in containers dry out quickly, so they may need watering daily in hot weather.

Tomatoes really love water and do not like to dry up too much! It's hard to overwater a tomato plant, but even a water-loving plant can get overwatered. Always feel the soil before watering - it should feel a bit dry or moist but not wet.

So, it's best to water them in the morning before the sun hits them. In high heat and drought, I water them again in the evening. If your tomatoes wilt in the heat of the day even though you have watered them well in the morning, the cause is not lack of water.