dsyukon
Full Member
Posts: 51
Joined: Thu Jan 12, 2012 10:40 am
Location: HUMBLE, TX

HELP WITH CRACKING TOMATOES

Watering on a regular cycle but the cracks here in zone 8 are really making some ugly fruit.
Any help will be appreciated.

Thanx in advance.


:(

imafan26
Mod
Posts: 13999
Joined: Tue Jan 01, 2013 8:32 am
Location: Hawaii, zone 12a 587 ft elev.

Cracking can be genetic. It depends on the variety of fruit you have. What are you growing.

Physiological cracking that is concentric is caused by uneven watering. If the plant is in a pot that is too small it can dry out and wilt at midday, or more likely rain causes the fruit to swell and the drier weather for the fruit to shrink and crack

Radial cracking can also be caused by uneven watering, or genetics. The fruit is growing faster than the skin can stretch.

The fruit is still edible as long as the growth cracks do not get infected.

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applestar
Mod
Posts: 30550
Joined: Thu May 01, 2008 7:21 pm
Location: Zone 6, NJ (3/M)4/E ~ 10/M(11/B)

Yep, some varieties will crack no matter what you do. "ugly fruit" sounds like its more of a variety issue. Do you have some pictures we can look at?

dsyukon
Full Member
Posts: 51
Joined: Thu Jan 12, 2012 10:40 am
Location: HUMBLE, TX

Hello,
I've never posted pics. I will try to get some pics. up after work today.

Plants types are Lemon Boy, cherry, and patio.

:(

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digitS'
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Joined: Sun Sep 26, 2010 1:10 pm
Location: ID/WA! border

Eryn, some varieties I just should never bother to grow.

Because of my dear wife's appreciation for Yellow Pear, I am attempting that one again. It is likely to be a fruitless attempt. I grew Yellow Pear about 10 years ago and tried thru 4 seasons. The 4th season, I don't believe there was a single fruit that did not crack.

My soil drains very quickly and irrigation is by overhead sprinklers - I've got a lot of square feet to cover. The humidity is often at 20% or even lower by late afternoon. So, it is quite dry here. Sungold and SunSugar cherries do fine. Ildi, which may even have pear-shaped fruit, does well. We will see if I am better at maintaining consistent soil moisture this year than in years past but . . . I doubt if I will be up to Yellow Pear's requirements :roll: .

Steve



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