Soil that contains a lot of sand doesn't hold water well and dries quickly. Because of this, tomato plants growing in sandy soil may need to be watered more often, about every three or four days. Clay soil, on the other hand, holds water well. Plants growing in clay soil usually only need to be watered once a week.
Water plants daily at soil level and watch for water to be released through drainage holes. A mature tomato plant can use a gallon of water every day and may need to be hydrated twice in hot, dry conditions.
Reduce watering when the plants begin to fruit
This helps concentrate the flavors of the fruits but also reduces cracking and splitting which can be caused from too much water. I also slow down watering of cherry tomatoes as too much water means those super-sweet fruits can split.
The signs of overwatering tomato plants are yellow, blistered or wilting leaves. Stems may turn yellow, too. To check if you are overwater, put your finger into the soil to assess how wet it is. If it feels boggy, especially after a dry day, your tomato plants are most definitely overwatered.
During hot weather, water your tomato plants daily, but give them less volume. You can return to twice-weekly deep soakings when the temperature breaks. And when weather is hot, consider providing relief for plants with shade cloth, particularly from 10 AM to 2 PM during the heat of the day.
Avoid Overwatering Tomatoes in Summer Weather
Tomato plants need an inch or two of water a week, and a deep soaking is better than a little water every day. Regular watering helps prevent tomatoes from developing cracks. Too much water will suffocate plants' roots.
During the heat of summer, container-grown tomatoes often need to be watered daily. Hot, windy conditions might require twice daily watering.
Too much standing water and moisture on the plants themselves is going to create a host of problems. By watering early in the morning, you will create an efficient routine that works in tandem with the plant's natural biological functions. Avoid watering in the evening at all costs.
Tomato plants have big appetites and need a steady supply of plant food to grow their best. Miracle-Gro® Performance Organic® Edibles Plant Nutrition Granules feeds both your plants and the beneficial microbes in the soil (which help plants take up all the nutrition they need) for up to 6 weeks.
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.
Feeding. To boost fruiting, especially with plants in containers, feed every 10–14 days with a high potassium liquid fertiliser once the first fruits start to swell.
Caring for tomatoes during heat and drought can be a challenge, especially if they're growing in a container. When the temperatures reach into the 90s, you can expect to water them daily. In the case of my prize Fourth of July tomato planted in a 14-inch pot, I have to water twice a day.
Editor: Since pots and pans vary in sizes, covering something with two inches of water means there should be two inches of water covering the top of the food, not that there are exactly two inches of water in the pot.
Water tomato plants in pots daily.
Morning is the best time to water. On exceptionally hot or windy days, water both in the morning and late afternoon. Your goal is to never let your potted tomato plants dry out enough to wilt. Water plants deeply, until you see excess moisture running out the drainage holes.
You may have to water daily while the plants are young, and —depending on the temperature—you may have to water twice. As a rule of thumb, tomato plants require 1 - 1.5 inches of water a week.
There is such a thing as too much of a good thing, however, and in a hot summer like this one, direct sun on some tomato varieties can cause a problem known as sunscald. Sunscald usually shows up as a whitish spot on the sun-facing side of ripening fruit. Soon the spot develops into a white or yellow blister.
Many people often wonder – what do under watered tomato plants look like. Well, tomato leaves will turn brown or yellowish. When you initially notice these brown or yellow leaves, you can see that the discoloration will start at the base and then extend upwards.
When temps consistently hit the 95-degree range, tomatoes tend to stop producing red pigments, which means typically red fruits may instead ripen to orange. When high heat lingers with days above 100°F and nights over 80°F, most tomato ripening stops altogether.
They much prefer 75 to 95. When temperatures get too hot during the day (over 85 degrees) or are too hot overnight (over 70 degrees) many vegetables including tomatoes and peppers will drop their blossoms.
Drape a shade cloth or row cloth over a simple frame to keep newly planted vegetables and salad greens from frying. Suspend the shade on stakes so it doesn't touch the plants. Mulch will slow down water evaporation.