Home » Misc » How to water tomato plant

How to water tomato plant


Your Complete Guide to Watering Tomato Plants

Compare methods for watering tomatoes and get tips for how to water By Sarah Hutchinson Reviewed by Denise Kelly, Horticulturist

Photo by: Fotokostic / Shutterstock.

Tomatoes are one of the most popular additions to people's gardens. While they are a mouthwatering treat to enjoy when grown properly, getting perfectly ripe tomatoes can be a challenge. The key to growing them successfully is to avoid under or overwatering them while they develop.

METHODS FOR WATERING TOMATO PLANTS

When watering tomato plants there are a variety of different methods you can try. The most important thing is that you water them the correct amount.

Watering can:

If you opt to use a watering can, one with a rose spout will give you the best results. A spout like this disperses the water in several smaller streams rather than one large one. Something like this is preferable because too harsh of a stream can displace soil that the plant needs to continue steadily growing.

Pro tip: Watering right at the plant's roots can help keep disease and pests away compared to watering from above the plant.

Hose:

If you choose to use a hose to water your tomato plants, attach a nozzle or watering wand to help the water flow out slowly and gently for the same reasons mentioned above.

Pro tip: A soaker hose is an easy way to water all your tomatoes at once. Water seeps out of small pores along the length of the hose. Simply place the hose so it runs past the base of each plant and turn on the water!

Photo by: FotoHelin / Shutterstock.

Drip irrigation:

A drip irrigation system is one of the most effective ways to water tomato plants. For this method, water is run through small tubes placed at the base of each plant. It's effective because the water is delivered right to the roots of the plant.

Another benefit is that it makes it easy to ensure all your tomato plants receive the same amount. So a tiny adjustment can fix them all.

Pro tip: For maximum convenience, connect your drip lines to your irrigation timer. Then program them to run on certain days and times for at least a few minutes. Adjust the schedule as needed or supplement with hand watering.

Sprinkler:

A sprinkler may sound like a convenient option for watering tomato plants, but it's the least favorable option.

Sprinklers irrigate from above the plants, which gets water on the leaves. This increases the chance of diseases and pests damaging your tomatoes. Plus, the moisture evaporates quickly, leaving your plants without the water they need to thrive.

Finally, a sprinkler isn't easy to target to one particular area. So you can end up watering other plants at the same time, which might lead to weeds or overwatering other things you're trying to grow.

The bottom line:

Watering tomato plants doesn't need to be a complicated process. The most important thing is to keep the soil damp throughout the growing season and avoid the leaves whenever possible.

The best option is drip irrigation but setting this up has the highest upfront costs. Using a hose or watering can with the appropriate setup can be just as effective and less expensive.

TOMATO WATERING TIPS

Watering your tomatoes doesn’t have to be tricky. Follow these tips and you’ll be on your way to success:

WATER NEEDS BY GROWTH STAGE

Figuring out how often to water tomatoes will vary based on their growth stage. Learning about each stage briefly will help you adjust your watering routine to fit their needs at each moment.

Seedlings:

Watering tomato plants enough when they're seedlings is vital if you want them to grow successfully past this point. Make sure the soil is damp well below the surface so that good roots can establish themselves early on.

Pro tip: Gently water your tomato seedlings with a spray bottle, usually 4-5 squirts is enough. Learn more about growing tomatoes from seed.

Photo by: Kurdyukova Olga / Shutterstock.

Young transplants:

Once you’ve transplanted your young tomatoes out into the garden, give them a good deep soak. Monitor the soil moisture and give them another soak when it is dry. Consistency is important during this time.

Mature tomatoes:

As the plants mature, mulch around the base of your plants to keep the moisture in. Keep a close eye on the weather. If it gets really hot, water them more often. If it rains, skip or reduce your watering. Place a simple rain gauge near your tomatoes to know how much water they receive.

Fruiting plants:

Keep an extra close eye on them throughout the day and continue to watch for signs of over or underwatering so you can make adjustments and ensure the tomatoes you're starting to see turn out well. Overwatering at this stage may cause fruit to crack or rot. Underwatering may result in low fruit production.

Tempting Tomatoes® 'Garden Gem' tomato plant.
Photo: Proven Winners.

Tempting Tomatoes®

One of the easiest ways to ensure healthy plants is to grow disease-resistant varieties, such as:

WATCH FOR SIGNS OF TROUBLE

Watering tomatoes isn't an exact science. The best thing you can do is watch for signs that you're giving them too much or too little water and make adjustments as you go.

Underwatering:

Here are some signs you should keep an eye out for:

If you notice these signs, try slightly increasing the amount of water you're giving them. Eventually, you'll find the sweet spot between too much water and too little water.

Overwatering:

If you’ve been watering too much you might notice these signs:

If you notice these signs, pull back some on your watering. You should keep to the same schedule but give them less water each time first.

Learn more about why underwatering and overwatering may lead to yellow leaves on tomato plants.

REMEMBER: WATERING TOMATOES IS AN ART

The most important takeaway is that watering tomatoes is an art, not a science. While following general guidelines is helpful, you should keep a close eye on your plants and make adjustments based on what you see. If you keep the soil damp and avoid watering the leaves with any method you choose, you should be enjoying flavorful tomatoes in no time!

MORE ON GROWING TOMATOES:
How to Grow Tomato Plants
Staking Tomatoes: A Simple How-To Guide

RELATED:
Summer Watering Tips for Your Garden
Garden Irrigation 101

Information About Watering Tomato Plants

Home › Edible Gardens › Vegetables › Tomatoes

Tomatoes

By: Heather Rhoades

Image by Liudmyla Liudmyla

Tomatoes are the most popular vegetables grown in the home garden. One of the reasons is that they are relatively easy to grow. That does not mean, however, that they grow without care. One of the most crucial parts of their care is knowing how much water do tomato plants need. Let’s take a look at how to properly water tomatoes.

Tips for Watering Tomato Plants

Water slowly, water deeply – The number one rule of watering tomatoes is to make sure that you go slow and easy. Never rush watering tomato plants. Use a drip hose or other forms of drip irrigation to deliver water to your tomato plants slowly.

Water regularly – How often should you water tomato plants? There is no hard and fast rule to this. It depends on how hot it is and if the plant is actively growing. A good rule of thumb is to supply water once every two or three days at the height of summer. Remember that water supplied by Mother Nature counts towards watering tomato plants in the garden. Once the weather cools and fruit has set, scale back watering to once a week.

Water at the roots – When watering tomatoes, it is normally recommended that you water straight to the roots rather than from above, as this can cause disease and pests to attack the plants. Watering tomato plants from above also encourages premature evaporation and unnecessarily wastes water.

Mulch – Using mulch helps to keep water where the plants need it. Use mulch to slow down evaporation.

How Much Water Do Tomato Plants Need?

There’s no one set amount for this. There are dozens of factors that can influence how much water a tomato plant needs at any given time. These factors can include age of plant, size of plant, type of soil, current temperatures, and humidity, state of fruit, and amount of fruit as well as weekly rainfall.

A general baseline is considered to be 2 inches (5 cm.) of water a week for a plant in the ground (more often for container plants). Due to all of the factors above, this amount may be too much or too little for your tomato plant. Instead, it would be wise to depend on a water gauge or an indicator plant to tell when you need to water your tomatoes. Impatiens make a good indicator plant to put near your tomatoes since impatiens wilt immediately when they have too little water, thus indicating that the tomatoes also need water.

Problems Related to Improper Watering of Tomatoes

Improper watering can lead to the following issues:

Now that you know how often should you water tomato plants and how much water tomato plants need, you can water tomatoes in your garden with confidence and enjoy the fruits of your labor.

This article was last updated on

Read more about Tomatoes

Did you find this helpful? Share it with your friends!

You might also like…

How to properly water seedlings on the windowsill, in the greenhouse and in the ground

Not every gardener knows how important proper watering of seedlings is, in which the regime is observed and due attention is paid to the properties of the water used to moisten the soil. Let's figure out how to get healthy and strong seedlings.

"Competent" watering of vegetable seedlings is a guarantee of its good development, and later - a rich harvest. It is important to maintain a balance, because in the early stages of growth, excessive watering is especially harmful, and later insufficient, superficial watering of the plant can become the cause of problems. Of course, the quality of the water with which you water the seedlings also plays an important role. nine0003

Water for watering seedlings

The optimum water temperature for seedlings is 20-25°C, therefore, before watering the plant, the water is heated if necessary or allowed to stand in a warm room until the water temperature reaches room temperature.

It is not recommended to boil water for irrigation, as in this process the water loses oxygen, which is bad for seedlings.

Filtered water is an excellent option for moistening seedlings, and if there is no filter, you can let the water stand for 1-2 days. Acidified water will be useful for seedlings: 1 peat tablet or 1 g of citric acid is dissolved in 10 liters of water. nine0003

The ideal water for watering seedlings is melted water or rain water, that is, as close as possible to the natural environment. But you can use such water only if you live far from industrial enterprises and big cities.

How often seedlings should be watered

Before germination , the soil is moistened once a day with a spray gun so that a crust does not form on the surface (provided that the soil was well shed before sowing the seeds, and the boxes with seedlings were covered with glass or film). nine0003

When the seedlings sprout , the cover should be removed and soil moisture should be stopped for 2-3 days to allow the sprouts to get stronger. Then the seedlings are spudded, thinned out and watered already 1 time per week.

After the appearance of 2-3 true leaves the need of seedlings for water increases, so care must be taken that the water reaches the lowest layer of the soil. If you are growing seedlings in opaque cups or a box, dip a wooden stick into the soil and check how wet it is. The frequency of watering also depends on what kind of vegetable crop you are growing. nine0003

How to water seedlings of tomatoes, peppers and eggplants

The rules for watering seedlings of peppers, tomatoes and eggplants are practically the same. Before sprouts appear above the soil surface, seedling boxes or cups with crops are kept under a film, and the soil is sprayed with water once a day, preferably in the morning.

With the first shoots, the seedlings of these crops are no longer moistened for 2-4 days, and then the film (or other covering material) is removed and the seedlings are watered abundantly 1-2 times a week as the soil dries up. nine0003

For successful picking, the soil must be crumbly, which means it has time to dry out. Therefore, seedlings need to be watered 1-2 days before performing this procedure. After picking, they again take a break for 4-5 days, and then resume watering in the mode of 1 time per week.

Before planting adult seedlings in open ground or in a greenhouse, the amount of water for irrigation is gradually reduced, and 1-2 days before planting, seedlings stop watering altogether.

Watering cucumber seedlings

Cucumber seedlings need more moisture than the crops described above. The first watering of seedlings of cucumbers, or rather, moistening the soil, is carried out even before the germination of seedlings. After sowing the seeds, the container is covered with a transparent plastic lid or film, and then they make sure that the earth in the container does not dry out. To do this, it is enough to water the soil every other day with a small amount of water or spray it with a spray bottle.

With the appearance of sprouts, it is necessary to remove the film from the boxes, and when the seedlings grow up and get stronger, watering more often up to 1 time per day. In this case, the soil must be loosened, preventing a crust from forming on its surface. nine0003

How to water cabbage seedlings

Cabbage loves water just as much as cucumbers, so it is important to keep the soil slightly moist at all times. Drying out of the earth, as well as excess moisture, can destroy seedlings. Before the first shoots appear, the ground with seedlings is watered daily, then as the top layer dries up.

After 1.5 weeks after germination, cabbage seedlings are swooped down, previously, one hour before the procedure, moistening the soil. Before "relocating" cabbage seedlings to open ground, watering is suspended for a week, and 2 hours before planting, an earthen ball is shed abundantly. nine0003

How to water seedlings on a windowsill

As you know, south-facing windows are best suited for growing seedlings on a windowsill. If the windows in the room are not plastic, but with a wooden frame, the window sill on which you plan to put seedling boxes should be insulated. A box or cups for seedlings must be placed in a pallet so that excess moisture does not accumulate in the soil.

Watering seedlings on the windowsill should be carried out so that the soil does not have time to dry out, otherwise the plant may die due to the lack of sufficient moisture. However, it is also dangerous to transfuse plants - this can provoke the development of a black leg. nine0003

Watering the seedlings after picking

Do not water the seedlings for the first 5-6 days after picking. This is done so that the plant takes root better: in search of moisture, the roots of the seedling will begin to grow deeper and wider, thereby becoming stronger. Next, the plants are watered in the usual way.

Watering planted seedlings

A few days before transplanting seedlings to a permanent place, they stop watering them. But 1-2 hours before the start of the transplant, the soil is properly moistened to avoid injury to the roots of the plant. Planted seedlings are immediately watered abundantly, the soil is mulched so that moisture evaporates more slowly. nine0003

The first watering of seedlings after planting in the ground is carried out only after 10-15 days, then the seedlings are watered every 3-7 days (water consumption per hole is 3-5 liters), each time loosening the soil after watering by 8-10 cm in depth .

There are different ways of watering seedlings, the most popular are sprinkling (water from a watering can with a net is poured onto the leaves of the plant) and root watering (water is poured directly onto the soil so that drops do not fall on the leaves of the seedling). Tomatoes, eggplants and peppers are watered exclusively under the root, since moisture that has fallen on the leaves can cause late blight and other diseases. nine0003

How to water seedlings in a greenhouse

Seedlings after planting in the greenhouse should be watered under the root (especially tomato seedlings), pouring 4-5 liters of water under each bush. Then they take a break for 7-10 days, after which the seedlings are watered (at the rate of 2-3 liters per bush) once a week in spring and 1-2 times a week in summer. After watering, the greenhouse is ventilated and the ground is loosened.

It is better to water the seedlings in the late evening or in the morning when the sun is not too strong.

Watering seedlings with ashes

Root feeding with ashes is especially useful for mature seedlings. It is carried out shortly before planting seedlings in the ground, on the second day after watering. In 8 liters of hot water add 1 tbsp. wood ash, insist for a day, then filter and water the soil (no more than 0.5 st. per 1 plant). Ash contains a large amount of nutrients that favorably affect the development of seedlings. It is also a source of phosphorus, potassium and many trace elements useful for plants.

Watering seedlings with potassium permanganate

Compliance with the dosage when feeding seedlings with potassium permanganate is very important. If the solution is made too concentrated, the plant may die. For 10 liters, take 3 g of potassium permanganate and water (or spray from a spray bottle) the soil with an interval of 10 days. Manganese contributes to the active growth of seedlings, has disinfectant properties, and increases the resistance of plants to diseases.

Watering seedlings with iodine

Iodine helps the plant to get stronger and has a good effect on the formation of fruits. Dissolve 1 drop of iodine in 3 liters of water, mixing thoroughly. Seedlings of seedlings are watered with a solution under the root. Such top dressing is carried out once. nine0003

Watering the seedlings with yeast

Yeast feeding accelerates the growth and increases the endurance of the seedlings. 100 g of dry yeast is poured into 10 liters of water, 50 g of sugar are added and infused for 2 hours. Then the infusion is diluted with water (1:5) and the seedlings are watered. If the yeast is "live", then a pack (100 g) is completely dissolved in 10 liters of water, then the solution is infused for a day and the plants are also fed.

How to water the seedlings so that they do not stretch

One of the reasons that the seedlings weaken and stretch is excessive watering, therefore, if the seedlings began to stretch upward, the stems became thinner, and the leaves turned pale, it is urgent to reduce the frequency and volume of watering and exclude any top dressing. nine0003

By following the simple rules of watering, you will get strong healthy seedlings, which means a bountiful harvest.

How often to water tomato seedlings on the windowsill

Novice gardeners who grow tomato seedlings for greenhouses or open ground almost always wonder how to water them properly at home. It is from the timely watering and careful care of the seedlings that the yield of a tomato depends. Before and after picking, small sprouts absorb the main vitality necessary for future fruiting. nine0003

With a sufficient amount of moisture, the seedlings have a strong and strong root system, which contributes to good rooting of plants during transplantation and further growth.

Water for irrigation of tomatoes

Tomato seedlings growing at home should be watered with settled water at room temperature. To do this, water is collected in a container and left for a day. Harmful substances that can cause harm to plants are then deposited. Before watering, water must be carefully poured without shaking into another container, leaving about a third at the bottom. The residue with a precipitate of chlorine and other impurities is poured out. nine0003

Melt water or rain water can be used instead of tap water, it is softer and does not contain harmful impurities. It can be collected in advance. Any water should not be cold, otherwise the plants may get sick with a black leg. Its temperature should be 20-25 degrees.

How often to water seedlings of tomatoes

One of the main components of tomato care is irrigation.
Watering seedlings on a windowsill is fundamentally different from watering adult plants growing in a greenhouse or open field. nine0003

The roots of an adult plant reach 1.5 meters in length and the lack of watering does not harm it, since there is always a supply of moisture at a depth. In young plants, the roots are short and fragile, and with a lack of moisture, the seedlings begin to dry.

Lack of moisture at any age is not so terrible for plants as overflow. Tomatoes do not tolerate excess moisture especially well. If there are no drainage holes at the bottom of the container with seedlings, young roots begin to rot even before picking. Transplanted seedlings in a new place stop growing and dry out. nine0003

To avoid drying out and overflowing, you need to know how often to water the plants and the amount of water needed.

There is no fixed watering schedule for seedlings. Young tomatoes are watered as needed and very carefully.

You can determine that seedlings need watering by the following signs:

  • The container with seedlings has become light;
  • the soil has become dull and dry;
  • The leaves on the seedlings darkened, began to curl and dry out. nine0141

You can determine the drying of the earth in a container with seedlings with a paper napkin or a wooden skewer. The napkin is pressed against the surface of the earth and if there are no wet spots left on it, then the seedlings need watering.

In the case of a skewer, it is used to pierce the earth from the edge of the container to the very bottom, if there are traces of wet earth on it, it is not necessary to water the plants.

The earth ball must not dry out or, on the contrary, become waterlogged. Too much watering leads to fungal diseases and rotting of plants. Lack of moisture also negatively affects the health of the tomato. With a lack of moisture, the leaves on the seedlings darken, and later wither. In dry soil, the roots become brittle and die off. nine0003

The frequency of watering depends on the age of the seedlings. The older the plants, the more moisture they need.

How often to water after emergence

Sprouts that have sprouted are not watered for the first 2-3 days. The dried earth is sprayed from a spray bottle.

Then watering is carried out once a week, if the room temperature is high - twice.

Seedlings, watered with a teaspoon, syringe or pipette. 20 grams of water is enough for one plant. Water is supplied gently under the plant, without touching the leaves. Drops of water on foliage can cause burns. Therefore, spraying the culture is not necessary. nine0003

With a large amount of seedlings, it is watered from a watering can with a narrow neck. Water is supplied neatly along the edge of the container with plants.

As the plants grow, the amount of water increases.
Seedlings are watered early in the morning or late in the evening.

Do not water the plants during the day!

After the sprouts have grown (about 7-15 days after germination) and 2 main leaves have appeared on them, they need to be transplanted into another container. 1-2 days before, watering stops. The earth should have time to dry out a little and become crumbly. nine0003

Seedlings can be transplanted into trays, larger boxes or peat pots. The roots after transplantation need to take root well in a new place, so watering is carried out 3-5 days after the seedlings dive.

When to do the first watering of tomato seedlings: video

After diving

Established seedlings can be watered through a tray or with a watering can without a nozzle. When watering through the pan, the roots tend to moisture and grow faster. Using a watering can, water must be poured until it penetrates to the bottom of the container. nine0127 With slow penetration of water into the soil, it needs to be loosened.

After the formation of 5 true leaves, watering becomes more frequent and the plants are moistened every 3-4 days.

The amount of moisture increases with plant growth.

Seedlings grow on the windowsill for about 45-50 days. Plants at the same time reach 30 centimeters in height, after which they are transplanted into open ground or a greenhouse.

Before transplanting into the ground or greenhouse, the seedlings are watered.
It is necessary to moisten the ground in containers with young seedlings 2 hours before transplanting, this minimizes injury to the roots. Landing on a permanent place is carried out in the late afternoon or on a cloudy day. Plants are more fragile in the morning. nine0003

This procedure is carried out using the transshipment method. Plants, together with an earthen clod, are transferred to prepared pits. It is easier to remove a moist earthen ball from the container. Seedlings growing in peat pots do not need to be removed from the pots. Plants are planted directly in them. They will subsequently serve as an additional top dressing for the tomatoes.

Plant in pre-moistened soil. After that, the tomatoes are not watered for 2 weeks.
This promotes rapid rooting and protects the roots from being washed out. nine0003

The tomatoes are then watered every 5-6 days until flowering. Water, as well as for seedlings, should be settled and not cold.

5-6 liters of settled water per 1 square meter. Watering is carried out under the root or between the rows. During the flowering period, the volume of water increases to 15 liters per square meter. The frequency of watering in this case is every 3-4 days. After the start of fruiting, for tall varieties, the water consumption is reduced to 10 liters, and for undersized varieties to 5 liters. This avoids brown spots and cracks on the fruit. Excess moisture also lowers the amount of sugar and tomatoes become watery, sour. nine0003

When irrigating a tomato, water should not expose the roots and fall on the leaves. Drops of moisture focus the sun's rays and provoke the appearance of burns and contribute to the development of late blight.

The main mistakes of gardeners when watering

Many novice gardeners make mistakes when watering, which lead to tomato diseases, and sometimes to their death. These errors include:

  1. The most common mistake when sowing tomato seeds is taking containers without drainage holes. nine0127 In this case, the land becomes waterlogged during irrigation, since there is nowhere for excess moisture to go;
  2. Use of cold and unsettled water. Cold water leads to the appearance of a black leg. Unsettled water contains harmful substances that also harm plants.
  3. Irrigation. Plants should not be watered by sprinkling. Moisture that gets on the leaves harms the plants causing burns and late blight. In addition, the roots of plants are washed out.
    This watering can be used at the initial development of sprouts and only using a spray bottle. nine0141
  4. Too much moisture. The amount of water for growing plants should be increased gradually. With a large amount of moisture, plants begin to rot.
  5. Little water and irregular watering. Lack of moisture also negatively affects the development of plants.
  6. Watering seedlings before diving. At the same time, plants are more difficult to tolerate transplantation.
  7. Watering the sprouts in the first 1-2 days after the dive. This makes it harder for plants to take root.
  8. Drying of the soil when transplanting into open ground or greenhouse. In the absence of watering before transplanting, the roots of grown plants are damaged. And the transshipment of an earthen clod is more difficult. nine0141
  9. Watering seedlings in the first days after transplanting.
  10. Incorrect calculation of the volume of water during the growth of plants and the formation of flowers and fruits. In different periods of development of a tomato, the amount of water is different, as well as the frequency of watering.

By avoiding these mistakes, you can grow strong and healthy seedlings, and then get an excellent harvest.

How to properly water tomato seedlings