There’s nothing more frustrating than tending to your tomato plants and daydreaming about perfect sandwiches or fresh caprese salads, only to discover large, unsightly cracks on your nearly ripe tomatoes. This often happens seemingly overnight, especially after heavy rainfall, just when you’re about to harvest them.
You’ve diligently cared for your plants, watching those small green orbs mature into vibrant, plump tomatoes. But just as you’re about to enjoy the fruits of your labor, you spot deep fissures across the surface. It’s a common heartbreak for even veteran gardeners.
Don’t worry, though—there’s a straightforward solution. Keep reading to uncover the reasons behind tomato splitting and discover effective strategies to keep your tomatoes intact in your garden.
Let’s explore why tomato splitting sends gardeners into despair and what steps you can take to prevent this gardening mishap.
Tomato Splitting Explained
You’ve been eagerly anticipating the mouth-watering dishes you’ll make with your homegrown tomatoes when suddenly, you notice a setback. You find yourself wondering, “Why are my tomatoes splitting?” Let me explain what’s happening.
When you see damaged skin around the stem end of a ripening tomato, it’s typically due to cracks, also known as side splits. These cracks can develop quickly in hot, humid conditions, allowing harmful microbes that cause fruit rot to enter.
Although tomato cracks may appear alarming, resembling a severe disease, they are actually among the most frequent issues encountered in tomato cultivation.
This situation is referred to as a physiological disorder, stemming from environmental growing conditions rather than pests or diseases. Factors such as water, light, and temperature levels can trigger various physiological disorders in tomatoes.
Being located at the growing tips, the fruits must compete with new shoots for water and essential nutrients.
Even experienced gardeners will occasionally lose some of their finest fruits to unexpected splitting. Tomato cracking is particularly common during hot, dry summers and is just one of the many challenges faced when growing tomatoes. However, the primary issue is typically insufficient water rather than the heat itself.
Tomato splitting often occurs after dry periods followed by sudden, heavy rain, as the fruit absorbs water more quickly than the skin can expand. If you experience a pattern of drought and heavy rainfall throughout the summer, expect a season marked by cracked tomatoes.
And yes, it often seems to affect that one large, succulent tomato you’ve been eyeing for weeks. While green tomatoes can also split, it is more common in nearly ripe tomatoes.
Lack of calcium and potassium can also make tomatoes more prone to cracking and splitting. However, if you regularly enrich your soil with compost, nutrient deficiencies are less likely. Always consider testing your soil before adding any amendments to confirm any deficiencies.
Why Do Tomatoes Crack?
You might have noticed that store-bought tomatoes always seem to look pristine, with their smooth and shiny surfaces. These tomatoes are carefully bred and grown under controlled conditions to maintain their perfect appearance. Any tomatoes that crack are quickly removed before they even reach the grocery shelves.
On the other hand, homegrown tomatoes often display a charming variety, but with that diversity comes the occasional split. These cracks happen when the tomato’s skin can’t keep up with the rapid expansion of the fruit inside, often caused by sudden changes in water intake.
Typically, this happens after a heavy rainfall that follows a dry spell, but inconsistent watering practices can also lead to similar results.
Tomatoes split due to sudden increases in water availability, causing the fruit to swell quickly and outpace the stretchiness of the skin. This isn’t a sign of disease or pest problems, so there’s no risk of it spreading to other plants.
It’s a natural occurrence that can affect any tomato, particularly after a prolonged drought followed by substantial rainfall.
If the tomato is still green when it splits, it’s likely to decay before it ripens. However, if the tomato is already showing signs of ripening, like changing color to red, pink, yellow, or purple, you can still salvage it. According to experts, simply cut away the damaged parts, and the rest of the tomato can be used in various dishes like salsas or sauces.
Tomatoes can show two main types of cracks: radial and concentric. Radial cracks run vertically down the fruit and can expose it to diseases, making it imperative to use these tomatoes quickly. Concentric cracks form circular patterns around the stem and are generally less harmful since they don’t expose the flesh.
Whether caused by a sudden downpour or an enthusiastic watering session, when tomatoes absorb water faster than their skins can stretch, splitting occurs. Rapid growth from a temperature rise or fertilization can also cause the skins to burst. This is especially common in varieties prone to splitting, such as cherry and heirloom tomatoes.
So, while you can’t always prevent your tomatoes from cracking, understanding why it happens can help you manage your watering practices better and save some of your harvest from going to waste.
How to Prevent Tomatoes from Splitting
Choosing Crack-Resistant Tomato Varieties
While heirloom tomatoes have become trendy, don’t overlook the benefits of hybrid varieties. Many hybrids are specially bred not only for improved disease resistance but also for their ability to resist cracking. For gardeners eager to reduce the frustration of split tomatoes, consider these robust varieties:
- Roma
- San Marzano
- Plum
- Big Beef
- Big Boy
- Golden Sweet
- Grape Tomatoes
- Sun Gold
- Celebrity
These varieties excel at handling fluctuating moisture levels, which can minimize cracking. Notable crack-resistant types include ‘Celebrity,’ ‘Juliet,’ ‘Plum Regal,’ and ‘Pink Girl.’ Always check plant labels for information on crack and disease resistance when selecting your tomatoes.
Remember, while some tomatoes are labeled crack-resistant, all types can potentially crack under certain conditions. However, maintaining consistent watering habits can help prevent splitting across all tomato varieties.
Water Tomato Plants Consistently
Tomato splitting often results from inconsistent watering rather than too much water. When tomatoes suddenly absorb a lot of moisture after being dry, their skins can’t expand quickly enough, leading to cracks. Consistent and deep watering routines can prevent this.
Ideally, tomatoes thrive with around 1 inch of water weekly. If rainfall is insufficient, supplemental watering is crucial. Using a drip hose or watering wand directs water straight to the plant base, minimizing wet leaves that can attract foliar diseases.
Successful tomato growth depends not just on water quantity but also watering consistency. Providing 1-2 inches of water per week evenly—preferably deep watering a few times a week instead of daily—helps maintain stable soil moisture, especially during dry spells. Applying compost or mulch can also lock in moisture between waterings.
For tomato growers, check soil moisture every few days during peak summer by using the finger test: insert your index finger an inch deep into the soil; if it feels dry, it’s time to water. Always water at the plant’s base to avoid soil splashing, which can spread diseases like blight and septoria leaf spot.
If experiencing a dry spell, consider supplementing with hand watering or setting up an irrigation system. Regular watering promotes uniform growth, yielding larger, robust tomatoes less prone to splitting. For deeply planted tomatoes, their roots can reach deeper moisture reserves, providing a buffer against dry conditions.
This is even more crucial for container, pot, or grow bag plants, where maintaining consistent soil moisture is essential. In-ground plants generally have extensive root systems, offering some natural resilience against fluctuating water availability.
Prioritize Mulching Your Tomatoes
If there’s one gardening task you shouldn’t skip, it’s mulching your tomatoes. Bare soil tends to lose water rapidly due to evaporation, but a good mulch layer keeps that moisture where your tomatoes need it most. Not only will your watering be more effective, but you’ll also find yourself battling fewer weeds.
Apply a 2-3 inch layer of organic mulch, such as straw, pine needles, or shredded bark. This helps retain soil moisture, leading to less stress and cracking on your tomatoes, and keeps soil temperatures more stable.
Here’s a gardening tip I swear by: Always mulch around the base of your tomato plants. Adding high-quality organic compost to the mulch can further enhance the soil’s ability to hold onto water, ensuring your tomatoes get a steady supply as they grow. This simple step can significantly improve the health and yield of your tomato plants.
Pick Tomatoes Early and Often
Remember, those nearly perfect, almost-ripe tomatoes are frequently the ones that end up splitting open. To prevent this, don’t let tomatoes fully mature while still attached to the vine. Tomatoes ripen best in warm conditions, ideally between 65-75°F.
It’s advisable to pick them when just past the initial ripening phase, known as the breaker stage, and allow them to reach full ripeness off the vine—perhaps on your kitchen counter or in a warm area like your garage.
If heavy rain is forecasted and your tomatoes are nearly ripe, take this as the ideal time to harvest them. This preemptive picking prevents the tomatoes from absorbing excess water, which can lead to splitting.
Once picked, these tomatoes can continue to ripen perfectly fine off the vine, such as on a sunny windowsill—plus, you’ll reduce the risk of pests getting to them first.
During dry spells or droughts, keep a close watch on weather reports. If the soil around your tomatoes has been dry or poorly watered, consider gathering your nearly ripe tomatoes before any impending rainstorms to prevent cracking.
Although ripening tomatoes off the vine may slightly reduce their flavor compared to vine-ripened ones, it’s a worthwhile trade-off to avoid damage. Alternatively, you can cover your tomato area with a tarp during rains, collecting the rainwater in buckets for controlled irrigation later.
In dry regions, some avid tomato cultivators use plastic hoop houses to shield their crops and manage watering more effectively, thus preventing rain-induced cracking.
Keep your eyes on weather predictions. If significant rainfall is on the horizon, it’s wise to pick those tomatoes you’ve been eagerly watching. They’ll ripen just as well on your countertop, provided they’ve moved beyond the breaker stage.
If you’re caught unprepared and can’t pick your tomatoes in time, covering them with a large tarp can be a quick fix. This helps prevent the soil from becoming overly saturated, which could otherwise cause issues for your tomatoes.
Growing Tasty Tomatoes in Containers and Raised Beds
When growing tomatoes in a greenhouse or conservatory, maintaining the right temperature and sunlight levels is crucial. Use a combination of heating, ventilation, and whitewash paint on the greenhouse panels as needed. Investing in a good maximum-minimum thermometer helps you monitor temperature changes accurately.
Many lower-quality greenhouses lack proper ventilation, so you may need to temporarily remove glass panes on hot summer days. For polythene tunnels, reducing heat is trickier – consider adding shade cloth or rolling up the sides for better airflow.
Keeping outdoor tomatoes at the ideal temperature can be a challenge with fluctuating weather conditions.
Don’t overlook mulching, even for container-grown tomatoes. The soil in pots tends to dry out quickly, causing moisture stress for plants. A mulch layer helps regulate soil moisture and temperature.
Use containers or pots with drainage holes to prevent waterlogging at the roots, which can lead to issues like fruit cracking or root rot.
For best plant health, grow your tomatoes in raised beds or containers with good drainage. These setups allow excess water to drain away, especially after heavy rains. Use a loose, well-draining potting mix to avoid compaction. Supplement with an organic vegetable fertilizer according to label instructions to replenish nutrients lost through drainage.
Maintaining Soil Fertility for Thriving Plants
Getting your soil tested is crucial for ensuring a flourishing garden. The best way to get reliable results is by contacting your local agricultural extension office or using a mail-in lab test kit.
Not only do these tests provide accurate insights into your soil’s condition, but they also come with specific recommendations on how to address any deficiencies. This way, you’re not left guessing about what your soil needs.
To keep your plants healthy and productive, especially during flowering and fruiting, it’s essential to use a balanced fertilizer that includes calcium. However, be cautious with nitrogen; too much can lead to lush foliage but fewer fruits.
Regular feeding is key to maintaining soil fertility. Opt for special tomato fertilizers, which are rich in potassium. This nutrient is vital for encouraging robust fruit development. By following these tips, you can enjoy a bountiful and healthy garden.
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Handling Split Tomatoes
Have you noticed some split tomatoes on your plants? It’s crucial to act fast and pick them immediately. These cracked tomatoes are more vulnerable to rotting or attracting pests.
Don’t worry, though, split tomatoes are still perfectly fine to eat! Make sure to promptly harvest them. Especially after rain, it’s wise to inspect your plants and gather any tomatoes that have cracked open. Keep an eye out for more splits in the coming days.
While it might be tough to prevent tomatoes from splitting entirely, you can still make the most out of them. Examine each tomato carefully for any pests or signs of decay. Discard any that smell off or are leaking.
Why not whip up your favorite recipe with these fresh picks from your garden? Remember, they won’t last long, so use them up quickly to savor the fruits of your labor.
Act swiftly to use or preserve these vulnerable tomatoes. Their split skins make them highly susceptible to bacteria and quicker spoilage.
FAQs About Common Tomato Issues
Symptoms and Causes Recap
- Split or cracked fruit: Often due to inconsistent watering or temperature changes.
- Corky scars and uneven dips, or ‘catfacing’: Typically the result of fluctuating temperatures during the seedling phase. By staying informed about these common issues, you can take proactive steps to ensure your tomato plants remain healthy and productive.
Why do tomatoes rot at the bottom?
Tomatoes suffer from a condition called blossom-end rot, where the bottom part of the fruit turns a leathery brown or black. This issue stems from a lack of calcium in the plant, typically due to uneven watering.
Do cracks on tomatoes suggest overwatering?
Cracked tomatoes often result from irregular watering, where the plant gets either too much or too little water. Factors like excessively moist soil, calcium deficiencies, overripe fruits, and intense sunlight also contribute to this problem.
What is the impact of sun scald on tomatoes?
Sun scald can leave whitish or pale gray patches on tomatoes that are still ripening. It resembles sunburn, causing the fruit to blister and, if not harvested in time, leads to cracking and early decay.
Keep an Eye on These Tomato Troubles
Tomatoes are prone to various diseases and issues like rot. By monitoring your plants closely and spotting problems early, you can often save your crop. Conditions such as Septoria leaf spot, which results in black spots and yellowing leaves, thrive in hot, humid conditions.
Blossom drop happens when temperatures soar above 85°F or dip below 58°F but can be mitigated with protective plant coverings. Excessive sun exposure can cause tomato sunburn, known as sunscald.
Understanding Catfacing
Catfacing refers to scarring and deformities on tomatoes at the site of the blossom scar, distinct from splitting. This condition is more prevalent in heirloom tomato varieties and is largely influenced by temperature fluctuations during the early growth stages.
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