In this paper we report the findings from experiments using soil columns to investigate changes in water content and temperature in cumulic cinnamon soils and loessial soils which were used to grow cherry tomatoes (Lycopersicon esculentum var. cerasiforme Alef.). A mathematical model for soil water distributions was used to simulate the vertical changes in soils water, and a sinusoid model was selected to analyse soil and air temperature as well as the changes in air humidity. The results show that the average soil water content and the infiltration rate in the cumulic cinnamon soils are higher than those in the loessial soils. The temperature in the cumulic cinnamon soils is higher than that in the loessial soils at the same depth. The soil temperature has obvious hysteresis as the depth increases. The water use efficiency of tomatoes in the loessial soils is higher than in the cumulic cinnamon soils. The air temperature, relative humidity, soil temperature and soil water content influence one another. The mathematical model in this study effectively simulates the water movement in the soil above 20 cm. Within the variable range of the variables in the mathematical equation, the water content in the small depths can be accurately determined using the elapsed time in the cherry tomatoes at the full fruit period, which provides a theoretical basis for improving the drought resistance, scheduling water-saving irrigation plans and improving water use efficiency.