How often to water tomatoes ?
The most important responsibility of a gardener is watering tomatoes. You need to know how often to water tomatoes so you will get tasty and healthy fruits. Not enough water will make tomatoes small and unpalatable – too much can cause fungal disease.
How often to water tomatoes during the growing season
Most importantly, tomatoes may require a different type of watering during the growing season and different watering time when fruiting. Initially, you should water tomatoes twice a week with a lot of water.
Thanks to intensive watering, the water penetrates deep into the soil, which makes the seedlings take on better and the roots grow stronger. You should use clean, not too cold water. Growing tomatoes in the beginning is not particularly troublesome.
During the growing season, fertilize tomatoes either only once, shortly after planting, or every 2-3 weeks with a small dose of diluted fertilizer. Store-bought tomato seedlings can be pre-fed with starter fertilizer. In this case wait few weeks before fertilizing them on your own.
Watering tomatoes during fruiting
During the fruiting period, watering should change a little. Tomatoes need a little different water supplies during this time. You should water them every two days, but with a little water.
Water around the bushes so that the entire roots can receive water. Thanks to regular watering during the fruiting period, tomatoes ripen faster and have more instense color. Thus, they are also tastier and juicier.
During summer season you should water tomatoes carefully. Plants are exposed to sun and heat – so if you water them when they hot you can cause a lot of damage. Sudden change in temperature may even kill plant. On such days, you should water either very early in the morning (around 5am-6am) or in the evening.
When you water during summer season you should pour water under the bush. Don’t spray leaves or fruits as it may lead to disease.
How often to water tomatoes in the greenhouse?
Growing tomatoes in a greenhouse is very popular. An unusual microclimate is created under the cover – it is warmer and more humid than outside. This allows to get the fruit faster.
In order for the tomatoes from the greenhouse to be tasty, they need to be watered quite abundantly, but rarely. Growing tomatoes under cover requires watering every 4 or 5 days.
When watering always pour directly under the bush, being careful not to splash the leaves. Moisture on the leaves can lead to the development of fungal diseases. In addition, it is good to ventilate the greenhouse after watering.
High temperature and evaporating water can also encourage the growth of pathogens. Growing tomatoes in a greenhouse requires regular watering at every stage of plant development. Tomato seedlings need as much water as adult plants.
How to cultivate tomatoes in a pot – watering
Growing tomatoes under foil is not the only way to enjoy the taste of fruit faster. A great solution is to plant shrubs in pots and grow them on terraces or balconies. In this case, the way of watering is slightly different.
In fact, plants may need more water – the small volume of the substrate makes the soil dry faster. So, in warm weather, tomatoes may need water every other day.
In this case pour water directly around the plant trunk. Tomatoes in a pot should get water in the evening, avoid moments of strong sun and high temperatures.
What to water plants on the terrace with? You should prepare the water in advance – it must be at room temperature. It should also stand a little in an open container for all chemical components to evaporate.
When watering, it is good to fertilize tomatoes at the same time. They should get water with a mild solution of the mineral agent for growing tomatoes. It is good to use a little less preparation than recommended by the manufacturer. You can also use ready-to-use fertilizer for pot tomatoes.
