Feel the stems of your tomato plants. If they are limp and mushy, you are over-watering your plants. A yellow discoloration of the stems suggests they have been watered too much.
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.
If you notice your tomato plant drooping sometime around mid-day, do not worry too much about it because they will be back to normal near sunset. But if they are still drooping after sunset, this is a sign that the ground is too parched and you would need to water.
The best way to determine if the plants need to be watered is to stick a finger in the soil 2 inches deep. If it feels a bit dry, water it. Typically, a larger and more established tomato plant in a container requires a gallon of water each day.
What are the signs of tomato distress from too much water?
Balancing the water needs of the plants requires keeping a sharp eye out for the first signs of tomato distress from too much irrigation. Several leaf conditions occur from overwatering. Leaf roll results in older leaves on the tomato plant rolling upward while becoming brittle.
Another thing we asked ourselves was: what happens if you water Tomatoes too much?
Our answer is The soil dries out much faster. Don’t use too much water because it takes excess nutrients with it as it drains out the hole. Water your tomatoes in containers twice per day – once in the morning and once in the evening. Tomato plants exhibit signs that let gardeners know there is a water issue.
You might be asking “How much water do Tomatoes need to grow?”
Here is what our research found. tomatoes require between 1 and 2 inches of moisture weekly. Generally, if the top inch of soil feels moist, the plants don’t need water. Stick a twig into the soil. If it comes out dry, water the plants. If it comes out with soil clumps sticking to it, the soil may be too wet and needs to dry some before the next watering.
How to water tomato plants properly?
Watering slowly and deeply is recommended when watering tomato plants. Using drip irrigation to the soil is one way to ensure you do this right. That will help your tomato plants grow the deep roots they need. Water early in the day to give your plant leaves time to dry out and to avoid the problems caused by too much wet foliage.
When we were writing we ran into the question “What is the best way to water Tomatoes?”.
One source proposed once your tomato plants are established in the ground, the best way to water them is to use soaker hoses or drip irrigation systems. These keep the plant foliage dry and are water-efficient, and their use is often legally exempt from water restrictions, even in droughts ( source ).
A frequent query we ran across in our research was “How often should you water tomato plants in the summer?”.
One way to think about this is 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.
The main purpose of watering your tomato plants is to ensure that they have sufficient water to sustain themselves and perform their necessary physiological activities. Therefore, when watering, you don’t want to flood the plant, only to have most of the water run off (with nutrients and top soil).
Why are my tomato plant leaves wilt and dry?
Too little water can also cause the leaves to wilt and dry out. Tomato plants need to have a steady supply of water in order to provide you with a steady supply of tomatoes during the growing season. Too much water or not enough water can both cause problems for your tomato plant.
How do you take care of tomato plants in the winter?
Water early in the day to cut down on evaporation losses and also to give your plants plenty of time to dry out. Wet foliage overnight may help trigger some diseases. With furrow irrigation, drip irrigation or soaker hoses, which all deliver water right at the soil surface and not on the leaves, you can water almost anytime.