I'm growing an heirloom tomato in a large container and trying to keep it watered enough in this hot weather. But the bottom leaves and branches are yellowing, and some in the middle too, so I figure I'm overwatering. Is there a rule of thumb for how much to water and how to tell when it's too much?
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Yellowing tomatoes
Submitted by senecawells on July 23, 2008 - 9:12am.
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Tomatoes require about 1 inch of water per week and they also need well-drained soil. When growing tomatoes in containers, it is essential to have drainage holes in the bottom or root rotting will occur.
On my container tomatoes, I use a garden hose set at a slow to medium trickle to deeply soak into the potting mix until the water begins to seep out of the drip holes. With the hot weather we are having, watering daily or every other day is needed to prevent the tomatoes from wilting.
By this time of the season, begin using fertilizer solution for supplemental feeding. Once a week, give each plant a good watering with a water soluble fertilizer such as 20-20-20 or 15-30-15 at the recommended rate. Do not fertilize when the plants are dry-water them thoroughly first.
The lower yellowing leaves can be snipped off as well as some of the yellowed leaves in the center to get good air circulation throughout the plant.
Chelsey Wasem
Horticulture Agent