Warning: My balcony tomatoes needed way more water than I ever guessed

I read a fact from a local gardening group that a single tomato plant in a container can drink over a gallon of water on a hot summer day. I found this out after my plants in Chicago wilted badly last July, even though I was watering them every morning. I started measuring with a gallon jug and sure enough, they were finishing it all by the afternoon. It completely changed my routine from one small watering can to two big ones split between morning and evening. Has anyone else had to double their watering for pots on a sunny, windy balcony?

3 comments

3 Comments

taylor9291mo ago

Wait, that gallon jug method is smart but it can actually trick you. If you pour a whole gallon into dry container soil, most of it just runs straight out the bottom before the roots can get it. You're basically watering the deck below. The trick is to water slowly, or do two passes a few minutes apart. Let the first sip soak in to wet the dirt, then the second sip will actually sink in deep. I learned this after flooding my balcony neighbor.

cole_bailey8523d ago

But have you tried just using way bigger pots? My plants drink the whole gallon no problem now, no run off.

hunt.rowan1mo ago

Absolutely, that gallon figure is real and it still catches me off guard. Wind on a balcony pulls moisture out of the soil way faster than ground planting. I ended up using much bigger pots than I first planned, which helped a little, but the real fix was that morning and evening split like you said. A cheap moisture meter from the garden store saved me from guessing when the soil was dry deep down.