Tomatoes are one of the easiest vegetables to grow in any garden. Even though it needs rich, moist soil to produce healthy and tasty fruit, too much water is as bad as too little. Too many symptoms are present on your plant, then too much water is the likely cause. Fortunately, tomato plants can easily recover within weeks from overwatering.
Well, overwatering plants look just like under-watering plants, so if you have a hard time telling the difference, here are signs to pay attention to when the soil around the plant is moist.
Signs Of Overwatering Tomato Plants:
Symptoms Of Leaves:
Too much water makes the leaves to wilt, turn yellow, and drop. Too much fertilizer also results in burning leaves. Brown spots on leaves or holes are usually caused by disease or infestations rather than environmental conditions.
Symptoms Of Fruits:
If the plant is watered excessively, the shell of the fruit cracks and forms black spots on the bottom of the fruit and spreads, eventually causing the entire fruit to decay. Blossom end rot is often caused by a calcium deficiency in plants but is exacerbated by inconsistent watering too.
Symptoms Of Roots:
In severe cases, overwatering plants need to check the roots. A plant that receives excessive water for a long time may have roots that turn in to dark color, in contrast to the pale color of healthy roots, or roots may have a slimy texture.
Excess Foliage:
Overwatering or over fertilizing cause’s tomato plants to produce lots of lush, leafy growth but few tomatoes. Even cold temperatures and drought conditions cause blossoms to drop and won’t produce excess foliage. If your plant seems to have an overabundance of leaves, but no fruit then it’s because of too much water or nitrogen in the fertilizer.
Things To Consider To Save The Plant From Overwatering:
Amend sandy soils or heavy clay soils with compost and manure before planting tomato plants in your space or containers. This amendment improves drainage and reduces the risk of overwatering your plant.
Water your tomato plant only when the top of the soil is dry to touch. Stick your finger into the soil to check and if you feel it is dry enough, then it’s time to water your plant. Water the plant for about 20 to 30 minutes to allow the soil to soak completely. Check the soil frequently to keep it consistently moist, but not soggy or dry.
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