How much water does a tomato plant need per day? If you have ever planted tomatoes, you already know there is no pat answer to that question.
Where are you growing your plants? Are you planting your tomatoes in the garden or in containers?
What kind of soil do they have their feet planted in? Is it hard and clayey, sandy, or loamy?
The area you’re living in also is a consideration. The hot summer days in some locations suck the water out of the air.
Overwatering can be as big of a problem as underwatering your plants.
Tomato plants like their water, but they also like dry feet.
So ensure that you have proper drainage for your tomato plants, whether in your garden or pots. This is how you water your tomatoes.
Table of Contents
How much water does a tomato plant need per day?
Tomato plants need 0.3 inches of water per day (0.7 cm). That amounts to at least 2 inches (5 centimeters) of water weekly. It’s best to water your tomato plants once in the morning. As the temperatures start to rise, increase your watering to twice daily. But, ensure the soil’s dry before watering your tomato plant to avoid root rot.
Factors Affecting How Much Watering Tomato Plants Need
The soil in Florida is sandy and drains very fast. However, the soil in many parts of Georgia has clay-type soil and holds water much better than sand.
The point is that plants growing in these two different soils will have different daily watering requirements.
The growth medium for your tomato plants is a significant factor in watering them. Where your plants are located is another factor.
Tomato plants like full sun, and of course, full sun will cause them to dry out sooner than if they have shade part of the day.
Your tomato plants will tell you if they need any watering. They will droop, which is not good for them and stresses them.
Continued stress on a tomato plant makes it more prone to be afflicted by insects and diseases.
If you want to be very technical, a tensiometer will measure the water in your soil and help you keep the moisture properly.
Or, you can use the finger test. For example, if you stick your finger in the dirt and it comes out dry, your plants need water.
How Much Water A Tomato Plant Needs In Your Garden
What soil do you use in your garden? Is it well-amended earth, sand, or clay, or dark and loamy? The soil type in your garden is a factor to consider when watering, as is the weather.
If you have had a week of rain, too much water may become a problem, but not too little.
How you are watering is also a factor when deciding how much water your tomato plant needs daily.
Are you using drip irrigation, hand watering, or a sprinkler system to water your garden area? It matters.
Drip irrigation and watering go directly to your plant. Watering overhead overwaters some plants while underwatering others.
Monitoring your plants with any watering methods will help you decide if you need to water your tomatoes daily or less.
How Much Water A Tomato Plant Needs In A Container
Water potted tomatoes daily or every other day.
They will dry out faster than in the garden, and the key to healthy growth is a consistent level of moisture in the growing medium you are using.
Growing tomato plants in containers have the benefit that you are growing tomatoes free of weeds. But you need to stay on top of your watering regimen.
Tomato plants can not take in water and nutrients from the ground. They rely on the soil humidity and nutrients in the pot.
However, too much water in containers will cause root rot quickly. Make sure that you use containers that drain well. Use pots with drainage holes.
Use the proper containers for your tomato plants
If you do not have suitable containers, nothing you do will work growing tomatoes.
They need to be well-drained, with a soil mix that is loose enough for the tomatoes to grow in without cramping their roots.
You should be able to keep the soil in your containers damp, not soggy, six to eight inches deep.
Since potted plants contain a limited amount of soil, you must fertilize them more often than plants in the garden.
In addition, watering container plants causes the nutrients to leach from the soil quickly.
When to water tomato plants
Tomato plants tend to do better when watered in the morning.
However, when planting in dry, arid areas of the country, you may need to water twice a day, depending on where you grow your tomato plants.
It would be best to never water your plants at noon or evening.
The sun can burn the leaves if they have water droplets on them, and plants that get wet are more prone to disease.
A tomato plant functions in the morning, after a good night’s sleep, and begins its photosynthesis process. Giving it water at this time helps it to grow strong and healthy.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do I need to water my tomato plants?
Tomato plants need about three to four gallons of water a week for each plant.
Do I need to water every day?
When the weather is arid and hot, water your tomato plants daily. Check the soil they have their feet in to determine if they are too wet or dry.
Is weather a factor in when I water my tomato plants?
As mentioned earlier, weather can affect your watering schedule with tomato plants. The weather in the U.S. is as varied as the plants you have in your garden. If you live in an area with high humidity and a lot of rain, you will need to determine if your plants need water.
Takeaways
The amount of water a tomato needs depends on the following:
- The area your growing your tomato in
- Whether you are growing tomatoes in the ground or in a container
- On average, tomatoes need 0.3 inches of water per day (0.7cm)
Daniel has been a plant enthusiast for over 20 years. He owns hundreds of houseplants and prepares for the chili growing seasons yearly with great anticipation. His favorite plants are plant species in the Araceae family, such as Monstera, Philodendron, and Anthurium. He also loves gardening and is growing hot peppers, tomatoes, and many more vegetables.