Cracked Tomatoes

[vfem]

Like I haven't had enough issues with my tomatoes this year already!

With the CONSTANT rain rain rain we've had for the last few weeks I'm guessing that is it.... but...

I have 100's of popping, splitting tomatoes!? Seriously?! I picked about 4 Dz cherry tomatoes yesterday and most were popped and cracked with juices flowing everywhere, a complete mess. My larger slicing tomatoes seems to have out grown their skin and are splitting and covered in little dried out lines. These are still green so I can't pick them but I'm bummed if it has wrecked my slicing tomatoes I've waited Sooooooooooooooooo long for.

Is it just from over watering?!

 

[bid]

Too much rain sounds right to me. Tomatos can crack from growth spurts, not enough shade (leaves over the fruit), water fluctuations etc. Frankly when you read about all the pests, diseases and problems a tomato is susceptible to, it's amazing we ever grow one to maturity. After over 2 inches of rain last week after about 2 weeks of no rain a few of my tomatos are showing signs of wanting to crack also.

 

[HiDelight]

I agree it is the water ..the thing I dread the most after this long hot dry spell is the rains coming and my perfect tomatoes all splitting

I tented them with a plastic umbrella type roof if that is help to you? to make sure if we do get rain my beatiful tomatoes do not split!

I use drip irrigation deep soaking every other day through out the season keeping the plants evenly watered

it is the ONLY thing in my garden that gets extra special care because tomatoes are my reason for cooking

 

[Ridgerunner]

I believe variety has a lot to do with it too. My Black Krim, Mr. Stripey, Sun Cherry, Cherokee Purple and Brandy Boy all split easily. My Japanese Black, Sappho, 4th of July, Sweet Tangerine, and Superfantastic don't split all that much. My Marzano (spelling? - the paste tomato) are the only one in the whole row with blossom end rot. I'm keeping a list of what not to plant next year as well as what varieties to plant.

When it rains I pick anything that is starting to turn and put it on a table in the garage to finish ripening. It seems to help those at least.

 

[TillinWithMyPeeps]

I think that is a sign that you should give more tomatoes to the chickens.

 

[obsessed]

My tomatoes started to split once it got really hot. Like there was no way to control or stop it any more.

 

[Catalina]

If you need to you can pick the green tomatoes and can dilled green tomatoes.
You can also freeze them!

5 lbs firm green tomatoes
1/4 cup canning salt
3 1/2 cups vinegar
3 1/2 cups water
6 or 7 cloves garlic
6 or 7 heads fresh dill or 1/4 cup dill seed
6 or 7 bay leaves

Wash tomatoes; drain. Core tomatoes and cut into halves or wedges.
Combine salt, vinegar and water in a large saucepot. Bring to a boil.
Pack tomatoes into hot jars, leaving 1/4 in headspace.
Add 1 garlic, dill and bay leaf to each jar.
Ladle hot vinegar mixture over tomatoes, leaving 1/4 in headspace.
Remove air bubbles.
Adjust 2 piece caps.
Process 15 mins in a boiling water canner.

Yummy!

There are so many recipes with green tomatoes that I want to try, but I'm waiting until fall, because I'm still waiting for my first ripe tomato.

 

[vfem]

As soon as they start to even slightly turn I go ahead and pick them... I have a HUGE pile, I'm going to skin them and make sauce. I just can't enjoy my slicing ones right now. *pout*

 

[digitS']

Soil moisture, rain, overhead sprinklers . . .

Make a list like Ridgerunner has - some varieties are especially prone to splitting. I went from Sweet 100 to Sweet Millions because of the 100's tendency to split. For me, that was NOT in the right direction - the Millions weren't 10,000 times better than the 100's, or even "as good as" . This year, I'm back to growing 100's but they are the "super" improved variety. No splitting yet but I've just eaten my 1st ripe ones!

Yellow pears are one of DW's favorites. I tried 4 years to grow 'em! The final year, there wasn't a single fruit that didn't split. That was enuf! (This year, I've got Red Pear . . . so far, DW doesn't like their flavor .)

With very porous ground, an arid climate, and overhead sprinklers - splitting tendency is important in the selection of tomato varieties for my garden. Strangely enuf, they don't have to be a tuff as a baseball . . . you can find some real nice, tender ones that just don't tend to split .

Steve