Watering Tomatoes

It's tricky! Watering tomatoes the proper amount is extremely important.

And knowing proper tomato plant care in container tomato gardening means knowing when to water them.

Not unlike any other potted plant, under-watering tomato plants is bad... over-watering tomato plants is bad.

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Either one can have terrible consequences. To learn more about the effects of either, click here to go to Tomato Plant Care.

Tomato plants can dry out quickly in a container. If mother-nature doesn't do the job for us, watering them everyday is a must. In some situations, twice a day.

In knowing if the soil is too dry, a simple rule of thumb is to... well... use your thumb!

Poke your "green thumb" into the soil about half a thumb length. If you can't feel slightly moist soil, you need to water to ensure healthy tomato growing.

Here's our first container gardening tip. How can you tell a happy medium has been achieved for watering your container gardening tomato container for the first time?

Place your garden hose over the container edge. Turn the water on to a slow drip. Leave the water run for about 20 minutes.The soil should be completely drenched afterwards.

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If your watering your container after its initial watering, a quick way to know if you have enough water is this:

Slowly pour in the water. While you're pouring, watch for it to run through the drain holes. When you see this, you'll know the soil is well-watered... for the time being.

However, don't water the plant by pouring water over the leaves. Rather, pour in water at the base of the stem. Tomato plants don't do well with water setting on their leaves. This can lead to the dreaded FUNGUS!

If you're home vegetable gardening in an extreme climate, take a moment to check your plants soil a couple of times a day for the first 3-4 days.

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If the soil is drying out quickly, you'll need to water the container twice a day.

Soil Most Tip

More tips! More tips on watering tomatoes!

Okay, here's one for ya'.

Don't have time to be watering tomatoes or to check your tomato plant often enough?

Use Soil Moist Crystals (see image at right).

What a great product to use when planting tomatoes!

Add a few of these little guys at the root level and... voilà.

They capture and hold water to be released later when the soil needs it.

If you need some convincing about the effectiveness of this superb product, then check out these glowing reviews by tomato gardeners just like you.

This is a brilliant product that ought to make your life easier!

On the flip side of the tomato, watering tomatoes too much will be detrimental.

The soil should feel nice and moist after watering... not soggy.

Share Your Tip For Tomato Watering!

Click here to let others benefit from your experience. The tomato-loving world will thank you!

Most plastic planters, metal planters, or any vegetable gardening container for that matter, will have holes for drainage.

Double check though. Are they clear enough for water to pass? Are they even there? This is a must! If there isn't sufficient drainage, the plant undoubtedly will suffer from root rot and eventually fail.

Lost? If you're following the How to Grow Tomatoes series and need to find your way back to the main article, use these handy links.

See All Our Articles on How to Grow Tomatoes