My dad had this tomato plant and it had a auto watering system but a part of the system broke so it slowly water. It was just a drop a second and at the end of the summer the plant looked like a tree.
I want to take a look at your plant and what system does your dad used? If you post an image, then we could help to correct the broken part. If you are unable to capture a photo, then search for a picture of that system and paste here.
