Jessica ZanderEveryone wishes to have a successful tomato harvest at the end of the season. When you have the right tomato grow bag and know just how much sun your tomatoes need, the next thought is that of watering, especially if you’re growing in pots/containers.
In this article, we’ll be considering how often you should water your tomato plants, and at the end of the article, you’d learn
- How often you should water your tomato plants
- Factors to consider when watering your tomato plants
- Different techniques to water your tomato plants
Now that you know what to expect, let’s get started
Contents
How Often Should You Water Your Tomato Plants in Pots?
The secret of successfully growing tomatoes lies in keeping the soil moist; you must water the soil to keep up a constantly moist soil. However, it is important not to overdo it as that will only lead to your tomatoes becoming overwatered.
Here, the first step is to ensure that your plant pots have drainage holes in them. In the absence of that, you would need to put in extra care to ensure you don’t let your plant dry off or get too moist every day. Don’t overwater, even if your plant pot has a drain, as that would only cause it to wash out important nutrients.
You can choose to water your tomato plants in pots twice a day, once at the break of dawn, so the soil has enough time to absorb the water before the sun comes up and a little bit in the evening.
Also, you can check just how much water the soil needs by sticking your finger 2 inches deep into the soil; if it comes up dry, then it is time to water your tomato plants. You can also tell when the soil is dry by the dropping of the tomato leaves.
Since you have now gotten a clear idea of how often you should water, let’s consider the factors that affect your tomato plants’ watering.
Factors to Consider When Watering Your Tomato Plants
There are a few crucial requirements that go into play when considering just how much water your tomato plant needs, and some of them include:
Size of the Plant Pot
This is an essential factor to consider; the root of your tomato plant has the tendency to grow long if given the room to do that. When the space is confining, the roots may end up growing at the fringes of the pot and cause your plant to become root-bound, which will affect the absorbing capacity of your tomato plant. The bigger your plant pot, the better in regards to tomatoes.
Type of Tomatoes
The variety of tomato you’re growing also determines how much water it needs; the vining type tends to grow long and need more water while the dwarf types need a moderate amount of watering. If the short type is planted in a large pot, you can avoid watering every day.
Weather
This is another important factor because when the temperature gets hotter, your tomato plants will need more water. These periods, you will need to check your soil twice every day to ensure your soil does not dry out. During early spring, your tomato plants do not need so much water.
Tomato Stage
Small seedlings do not require much watering; neither do tomato plants that are just newly transplanted. When the fruits of your tomato are almost ripe, then you need to cut down on the watering of your plant to ensure the flavor of your tomatoes is intensified.
Different Techniques To Water Your Tomato Plants
Watering your plant is easy, and the techniques below will help you become an expert as your tomato plants grow; let’s take a look:
- Ensure you water around the tomato plants slowly so that the soil absorbs the water effectively
- Water your tomato plants only when it is needed so as not to flood the plant; all your tomato plants need is the soil to be moist, not drowned.
- Focus on the stem of your tomato plants, not the leaves. Also, don’t focus the water at the stems directly; when you water around it, your tomato roots are encouraged to spread around the plant pot.
- Water your tomato plants early in the day before the sun comes out.
- Avoid watering in the night because low temperatures can increase the chances of tomato plants being affected by diseases.
I've been passionate about gardening since the early 1990s, and in 2022, I launched You Can Do It Gardening to empower individuals to feel more confident in their gardening endeavors.
Following a 30-year career in nonprofit finance and operations, I transitioned out of that field in mid-June of 2023 due to the growing demand for coaching services. Interestingly, my years of presenting financial statements to boards and finance committees proved to be valuable experience for teaching people about gardening! I enjoy sharing skills, providing guidance and suggestions, and collaborating efficiently with clients to make significant improvements to their outdoor spaces, both small and large. I also regularly teach at the Arlington Continuing Education and Cambridge Adult Education.
My approach is direct and practical, akin to Mary Poppins, but tailored to your garden. Clients find satisfaction in saving money and taking pride in their own gardening achievements.
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Hello! I’m Jessica Zander, a garden coach and consultant based in the Boston area (zone 6b), offering virtual consultations across the country and Canada.
I’ve been passionate about gardening since the early 1990s, and in 2022, I launched You Can Do It Gardening to empower individuals to feel more confident in their gardening endeavors.
Following a 30-year career in nonprofit finance and operations, I transitioned out of that field in mid-June of 2023 due to the growing demand for coaching services. Interestingly, my years of presenting financial statements to boards and finance committees proved to be valuable experience for teaching people about gardening! I enjoy sharing skills, providing guidance and suggestions, and collaborating efficiently with clients to make significant improvements to their outdoor spaces, both small and large. I also regularly teach at the Arlington Continuing Education and Cambridge Adult Education.
My approach is direct and practical, akin to Mary Poppins, but tailored to your garden. Clients find satisfaction in saving money and taking pride in their own gardening achievements.
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