Tomato plants are usually grown in a pot or container and demand a different amount of water than those grown in the ground.
If you are looking forward to growing some of your own tomatoes, some questions might be wandering your mind, such as How often and how much watering is needed for plants in pots for optimal growth.
If you want to grow your tomato plant in domestic pots, it will consume comparatively less water from the tomato plants grown on farms.
How to Determine the Frequency of Watering?
You need to observe the size of the pot in which you are growing the tomatoes, and you want to evaluate the amount of water you should be providing to your tomato plants.
And if you are starting to grow your tomato plants, during the scorching heat of the summer seasons, your plant might yield you the best results. You should choose a tomato plant which has big bush-like leaves. This type of plant grows best in a 5-gallon plant pot. However, this tomato plant needs to be watered every day, occasionally twice a day.
Soil Moisture
An effective way of judging whether your plant needs water supply is by putting your finger inside the soil and feeling the moisture about 2″ deep. If you can’t feel any moisture, it indicates that you should water your tomato plant.
Yellow Leaves
Another effective way of determining the watering needs of your tomato plants is to check whether it’s leaves are turning yellow. Yellow Leaves indicate the water is not going to the parts of your plants. So you need to provide more water to quench your thirst.
You can also consider investing in a soil moisture meter, which can effectively evaluate the water content of the soil in your plant pot.
For using this tool, you just have to put the prong into the soil surface, and the meter will display the correct quantity of moisture in the soil of your plant pot. It’s the most straightforward approach to gauge the water content in the pot correctly.
Now that you’ve proven that the tomato plant needs water, you’re probably wondering how much to give it.
Things You Need To Keep in Mind while Providing Water to Your Tomato Plant
As previously stated, a variety of factors influence the watering requirements of your domestic tomato plants. The following summarizes the factors that influence the frequency with which your domestic tomato plant can water.
Colour and Size of the Container
One of the most important aspects affecting your domestic tomato plant’s water needs is the size of the container.
The roots of any typical domestic tomato plant can grow at a depth of around 20″ if given enough space. When roots are constrained by space, they begin to grow along the perimeter of the plant container, causing the plant to become ‘root bound.’
Root-bound plants have a harder time absorbing essential nutrients and water from the soil, which can adversely affect the growth and quality of your tomatoes.
It is undeniable that the quality of your tomatoes increases with the increase in the shape of your plant pot. However, it would help if you had a 15″ deep and 15″ broad pot. Moreover, if your tomato species tend to grow more enormous vines, then it is advised to use a 20″ container
Type of Your Tomato Plant
It has been proven that various unique species of tomato plants have considerably different watering requirements. So, if you don’t know much about your tomato species, set aside some time to learn about your tomato plant before evaluating its watering requirements.
Some of the popular tomato species are Cherkoo and San MarzanoSan MarzanoSan MarzanoSan Marzano, which can reach a height of around 6 feet or more. Needless to say that, these species will be requiring more water to maintain proper growth and produce high-quality tomatoes.
There are also smaller species of tomatoes that are dwarf trees that grow to be between 1 and 3 feet tall. They have a modest water requirement. Moreover, the water requirement of these plants becomes lower every day if they are sowed in larger containers.
Weather
If you’re growing any plant, you can’t ignore the aspect of weather, as it determines the surrounding environment of your domestic plants. If the temperature rises by even 5 degrees celsius, the water needs will go up considerably for your plants.
And because of this, you should check the soil surface of your tomato plant at least two times a day and ensure that your plant doesn’t face any disadvantage of dehydration.
Similarly, your tomato plant will require much less water to stay hydrated in the winter season as the environment gets quite cold.
So, you can water your tomato plant every alternate day.
Location Of Your Plant Container
The watering needs of your tomato plant can vary considerably depending on the type of location of your plant. For instance, if your plant container is exposed to direct sunlight all day, it will tend to lose a lot of moisture throughout the day. This will increase its water requirements.
Subsequently, if you plant your tomato plant in your garden rather than a pot, then you have to provide around twice the amount of water.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1: What should be the frequency of watering for your tomato plants?
The watering needs will depend on the season. You usually should water twice a day in the summer season, whereas you should water once every two days during the winter season.
Q2: What is the optimal way to water tomato plants?
It would help if you water your tomato plants at a slow pace, which can provide enough time for the water to seep into the soil.
Q3: Should the tomato plant be put under direct sunlight?
Direct sunlight can evaporate the moisture from the plant’s surface, which can increase its water requirements. If you can provide more water, the quality of the tomatoes will not be compromised.
Final Thoughts
Fresh and juicy tomatoes have been in massive demand among the retailers as well as the chefs. Growing this food item is quite complex compared to other vegetables, as a slight change in environment or water supply can remarkably affect their quality.
This article will provide you with a much-needed insight into how often and how much watering is needed for plants in pots.
