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Hot take: I stopped babying my tomato plants and they're better for it.
For the first two seasons in my Charlotte yard, I was out there every morning with a watering can, fussing over my 'Better Boy' tomatoes like they were houseplants. This spring, I switched to a deep soak with a soaker hose just twice a week, and the plants got tougher, with way fewer split fruits. Has anyone else found that less coddling actually leads to a stronger garden?
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the_mary7mo ago
Wait, what about when it's super hot and dry though? My plants in full sun would just give up if I only watered twice a week last July. I had to do every other day or the leaves would get all crispy and the flowers would drop. Maybe it depends on your soil? My dirt drains really fast, so it can't hold that deep soak for long.
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cameronn627mo ago
Tried that deep watering method last year and nearly lost everything in a heat wave. My soil is basically sand, so a deep soak just runs right through it. I ended up putting down a thick layer of straw mulch, like three inches thick, and that changed the whole game. It kept the soil damp enough between my twice-a-week soaks that the plants didn't even stress. Maybe the trick isn't just less water, but helping the soil hold onto what you give it?
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