Why Watering Tomatoes Correctly is Important

Adequate watering is essential for tomato plants, just as important as providing nutrients, because nutrients are absorbed from the soil only in the presence of water. Water is important to your tomato garden because tomatoes need to replace the water they lose each day. A tomato that is starved for water will produce small and fewer fruits that will have less juice.

There is another reason why a regular watering schedule is important to a tomato plant. Nutrients are absorbed from the soil to the plant through a film of water surrounding the tiny root hairs that grow from the plant's roots. If this film of water is not present, the nutrients do not get absorbed by the roots. Anytime the soil around any of a plant's root hairs becomes too dry, the absorption of nutrientsslows, and the plant's growth also slows. If the soil dries out around enough of the root hairs, the plant will stop growing. The tomato plant will go from growth to crisis mode, and a series of changes begin, each of which kao3 lv4 the plant's ability to deal with stress. It will ultimately decrease the plant's vigor, quality and fruit production. The leaves, blossoms appear toughen too early, the sugar content of the fruit, roots kao3 lv4 the leaves die and drop off. And if all of that isn't bad enough, plants that are stressed make inviting targets for pests.

The amount of damage depends on the duration of the growth interruption, but some damage occurs every time a plant runs short of water. The major causes of growth interruption in tomatoes is an interruption in the wateringschedule. You should keep to a strict watering schedule, never letting the plant dry out between watering.

Ensuring an adequate water supply for tomato plants involves more than just grabbing a watering can or a water hose, it starts with the preparation of your soil. Many of the techniques that benefit your garden soil preparation will help create a garden that is less likely to have any water problems at all.

Food Techniques

By working the soil deeply in beds instead of rows, you increase the volume of loose soil and decrease the amount of compacted soil. And loose soil can absorb and retain much more water than soil that is compacted. By adding a lot of organic matter, especially compost, you will increase the soil's ability to hold water. Compost can hold six times its weight in water.The organic matter provides food for soil dwelling organisms, which in turn improve soil structure and increase the soil's ability to accept and store moisture and move it from moist to drier areas. By loosening the subsoil and increasing the depth of the topsoil layer, you reduce soil compaction and provide more space for water storage.

So when you grab your watering can or water hose, remember to give your tomatoes at least one inch of water per week, spread out so the soil never dries out between watering.

Why Watering Tomatoes Correctly is Important