Pro tip: I stopped listening to everyone about watering my tomatoes on a hot day

At a garden show in Sacramento, a speaker insisted you must water container tomatoes every single afternoon in summer. My plants were wilting until I checked the soil and realized they were actually drowning. Now I only water when the top inch is dry, even if it's 95 degrees. Has anyone else found that less water is better for pots?

2 comments

2 Comments

quinn_nguyen17d ago

Ugh, same thing happened with my basil. Killed it with kindness, basically.

anthony12717d agoMost Upvoted

Actually basil is one of the few herbs that thrives on a lot of water and full sun. The "killed with kindness" thing is usually from overthinking it, like moving it around too much or using weird fertilizers. I've found the real killer is not enough light, which makes the stems weak. Then people water it more because it looks sad, and the roots rot in the dark, damp soil. Give it a sunny spot and let it dry just a little between waterings.