How Much Moisture Do Tomatoes Require?

Tomatoes in the Home Garden

• There are numerous tomato options for your garden. The choice is really up to you, although some need such a long growing season that you have to start them indoors to get fruit. There are bush and vine tomatoes, or determinate and indeterminate, amazing size variations and colors. Tomatoes are susceptible to several diseases and pests but with proper management they can thrive in containers or garden beds. Choose a location that receives at least eight hours of sun and has well-drained soil for your tomato crop. Water slowly and evenly each time you irrigate your tomato plants.

Growing Tomatoes in Containers

• Tomatoes make excellent potted plants. The medium- to small-sized bushes or vines are best for container growth because of the limited space for roots. Containers need large drainage holes and the soil needs a good mixture of sand or other grit plus compost. Container-grown tomatoes need more water than those in the ground. Tomato plants can't be allowed to dry out, but their roots must not soak in water. A container of unglazed clay allows excess moisture to evaporate and applying mulch to the top layer of soil conserves moisture. Plants in containers need to be watered daily in summer.

Growing Tomatoes in Beds

• Tomatoes perform well in raised beds, which warm up more quickly than flat bedding areas and provide excellent drainage. When irrigating tomatoes, avoid watering the foliage to prevent fungal diseases. Apply the water to the roots at regular intervals of every three days in hot weather. Soak the bed to a depth of 8 to 10 inches. Avoid fluctuations in water levels. Too much water can cause malformed fruit or blossom drop. Too little water stresses the plant and causes the leaves to wilt. Extremes of moisture, as well as temperature, can affect the crop yield. A 3-inch layer of organic mulch will help prevent moisture loss while preventing weeds and adding nutrients to the soil.

Ripening Fruit

• Tomatoes need a lot of food to produce fruit. They should be planted with a starter fertilizer. Then an aluminum nitrate fertilizer or 10-10-10 balanced food is applied three times with three weeks between applications. Tomatoes need to be watered thoroughly after each fertilizer application to prevent root burn and start moving the food into the soil where roots can use it. In August,water applications to tomatoes can be cut in half. The stress of drought causes the fruit to ripen quickly. The suspension of some of the watering will ensure that your crop is brought in before cold temperatures arrive.