So, you've decided to plant tomatoes this year! Congratulations. Fresh tomatoes are a true gift of nature: so much sweeter and more flavorful than what you can find at the supermarket that you'd almost think they weren't the same plant. And there are many, many ways to eat them, so even if you grow a lot, you'll be able to use them.

There are plenty of secrets to growing good tomatoes you can read about, and they'll help you get bigger yields or avoid pests, but the only thing that tomatoes really need is a spot to grow, plenty of light, and clean water.

But if you're a newbie to the world of growing tomatoes, you may not be sure exactly how much water to give them. If they don't get enough, the plants won't fruit, or the tomatoes will be undersized. If they get too much, or if you water inconsistently, you risk mealy tomatoes, split skin, dry patches, blossom rot, or other issues.

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How to Tell Your Plants Need Watering

While you might think a wilting plant is a sign that it needs water—and it sometimes is—it's not the most reliable indicator. Young tomato plants can wilt in the heat, even if they have enough water. And besides, you wouldn't want to wait until your plant looked so stressed to add water anyway.

Instead, the best way to tell is to feel the soil. If the top inch of soil feels dry and crumbly, chances are that your tomatoes need to be watered.

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The Best Way to Water Tomatoes

The goal when watering tomatoes is to keep the soil consistently moist. If the plant spends too many days dry then gets a deluge of water, the fruit will develop dry patches on its skin, which then split when it attempts to grow—and the split skins can lead to rotting.

However—and this is important—you don't want to douse the leaves or stems of the plant if you can help it. Moist leaves and stems can lead to unwanted fungal rotting.

Therefore, the best way to water tomatoes is close to the ground, directly into the dirt around the base of the plant. Water deeply, so the water penetrates to the roots, and water regularly. If you can, try to water early in the morning or in the evening after the sun has gone down. This will help keep most of the water in the soil, instead of evaporating.

Another good way to keep water from evaporating is to mulch around each plant, so that the dirt has less access to the air.

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How Often to Water Seedlings

Seeds and seedlings need the most frequent waterings, but they don't need a whole lot of actual water. If you're growing seedlings indoors or in small pots, simply make sure the soil is consistently moist to the touch. If you water them once or twice a day, don't fully soak them, and don't let the plants sit in water. Just make sure the soil doesn't dry out.

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How Often to Water Young Plants

As the plants grow, water them once a day or every other day. You'll want to water them a little more deeply, especially as they get bigger, to help them develop deeper roots. If the soil dries faster, water them a little more often. If it remains moist for a couple days, then you can back off to avoid overwatering.

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How Often to Water Mature Plants

Once the plants are mature and before they fruit, they'll need deep water about once a week. Mel Bartholomew, author of Square Foot Gardening recommends giving every 4 tomato plants about 1 to 2 gallons of water per week, or twice a week during very hot weather.

One exception is if you're growing your plants in pots or other containers. Because more of the dirt is exposed to the environment, the soil is likely to dry out faster and may need to be watered much more frequently (although it will need less water each time).

Other Factors to Consider When Watering

Some other factors to consider are the soil environment: if the soil you're using is sandy and prone to dry out, your tomatoes will need to be watered more often (and may need some fertilizer as well).

If the soil is dense and muddy or clay, which retains a lot of moisture, your plants may need to watered a little less frequently.

You'll also want to consider what kinds of tomatoes you're growing. Some plants are bred for growing in pots, for instance, with shallow root systems that need less water. Others that are bred to produce tomatoes all summer (instead of a single crop) and to grow in the ground, will have larger root systems that require a lot more water to stay moist.