Mealy tomatoes instead of juicy ones

by Rose
(Berkeley, CA)

Q. What makes tomatoes have a mealy texture?

A. Often, the first tomatoes of the season or tomatoes grown in containers may have a mealy texture.

The culprit is inconsistent soil moisture levels. This is more common in tomatoes in pots because it's difficult to maintain consistent moisture in a contained area.

Note it's the consistency of the soil moisture that's important ... not necessarily how often you water. The tomato plant doesn't "know" that you just watered it 6 hours ago if it's in a small 1 gallon pot and has used up its water.

That's why it's always a good rule of thumb to plant tomatoes in the largest container you can find.

In the garden, make sure to give tomatoes plenty of space. This way they'll have lots of room to spread their roots deeply.

You can check soil moisture in both containers and in your garden with a soil moisture meter.

Tomatoes become mealy before they ripen.

Good luck and happy gardening!
Your friends at Tomato Dirt