How often should I water my tomato plants???

I am having a pretty hard time trying to figure out how much and how often I should water my tomato plants. They are about 6" high right now and are looking very healthy and I just wanna keep them that way. I have red mulch down around the base of the plants and it seems to help keep the soil cool. I just can't tell if the soil is cool and damp or just cool. I know you are supposed to only water in the mornings as the roots do there growing at night. I just don't know how often. Thank you, yes, I am new at this gardening stuff : ( P.S. I live in N-E Indiana if that helps at all..

How often should I water my tomato plants???
You should water them about every 3-4 days. Depending on the type of soil you have and what the weather is doing at the time, this may be modified a bit. For example, on days that it is very hot and dry, you may need to go every other day. If it has been cool and wet, then you could maybe go a week.





Another thing that is really important is the time of day that you water. DO NOT WATER AFTER 5 PM! You want the foliage of the plant to be dry before nightfall because wet foliage = host for blights and disease. While you may not be able to control an evening rainshower, you can control when you water!
Reply:it's not really a function of how often but how much





tomatoes require at least 1 in of water per week.





(grass requires 1-1.5 inches of water/week)





under-watering tomatoes is one cause of blossom end rot (an ugly brown deteriation of the bottom/blossom of the tomato fruit...yes tomatoes are really a fruit)





it takes a lot to over water tomatoes error on the safe side





measureing the water can be the challange since most people flood water (soak the soil directly) tomatoes





you may need to water several times in a week if it is really hot and dry
Reply:Tomatos are very finicky when it comes to being watered.


I water mine about every two-three days. Check the soil. It should be moist about two inches below the surface. With the mulch you have, it should hold the moisture pretty well. DO NOT use Miracle Grow every 7-10 days!!!! Follow the instructions on the box. I use Miracle Grow about every 3-4 weeks. My plants get to be 6ft high. Too much Miracle Grow will burn the roots and cause excessive growth. It will not promote more fruit.
Reply:The plants will tell you when they need water. When you see the leaves start to droop, water. Too much water will hurt them, as well as too much miracle grow. Once a month with miracle grow is enough.
Reply:water them once a day at least I do but I live in SC so it is hot. Also I use miracle grow evry 7-10 days. I already have 6 or 7 tomatoes. Good Luck
Reply:Your plants are still very small, and you have plastic mulch around them so evaporation should be very miminal. I would not water more than once a week right now, but when you do, be sure to really saturate the soil. As the plants grow bigger and the temps of summer go up, you will have to increase the amount you water...I use plastic too, but lay a soaker hose under the plastic so it sits right next to the plant. This works great and saves me a ton of time later in the summer since I dont have to stand there watering....just hook up the hose and walk away for 1/2 hour or so. I should say though that the type of soil you have will affect how it holds moisture, if it is really sandy, it will dry out faster. One way to test for moisture is to pick up a handful and squeeze it tight...if it holds together the soil is moist enough. Good Luck!!