Too much water can damage or kill tomatoes.
Overwatering your tomato plants can cause ripe fruit to split or even kill them. However, it can be difficult to tell how much water to give them since the amount varies, depending on factors like the kind of tomato you're growing, the soil and the climate. Cutting back on the water will also result in sweeter tasting fruit. Soil should be kept moist, but not flooded. Does this Spark an idea?
Requirements
Tomatoes planted outdoors in a garden should be watered once or twice a week. Plants need about 1 inch of water every week during the spring and at least 2 inches per week during the summer. Soak the ground to a depth of around 6 to 8 inches, then don't water them again until the top 2 inches of soil starts to dry. Cover the ground around your tomatoes with mulch to help retain moisture during the hot summer months.
Symptoms
Tomatoes that are overwatered have pale green or yellow leaves because the plants can't absorb iron. In addition, the lower leaves drop off and the fruit doesn't grow well. Ripening fruit will split.
Time
Water your tomato plants early in the morning. If you wait until afternoon, the hot sun, shining on the water, will burn the leaves.
Types
The most efficient way to water your tomatoes is by drip irrigation because it uses less than half the water that other methods use. You can also water your tomatoes with a garden hose, but lay the hose on the ground and avoid spraying the plants. Using a sprinkler system isn't a good idea because when the leaves get wet, the tomato becomes more susceptible to disease.
Water Crystals
Tomatoes growing in pots usually need daily watering during the hottest part of the summer. Hanging tomatoes dry out even more and need additional water. You can help reduce the chance of overwatering your plants by using water crystals. Water crystals are synthetic polymers that you mix into the potting soil. They can store up to 400 times their weight in water, releasing it to your plants when the soil dries out. In addition to saving water, they reduce the amount of nutrients that leach out of the soil.
Saving Water
Recycle the final rinse water from your washing machine and use it on your tomato plants. Collect water in a rain barrel and use it to water your garden. An inch of rain can provide around 1,250 gallons of water if collected from the roof of a 2,000-square-foot house.
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