What's going on with my tomatoes?

[lukeout007]

I went out to harvest my tomatoes last night and found that most of the ripe ones look like this. I only ended up getting 1 edible tomato. Can someone shed some light on what could be causing this?

[imafan26]

Some of the cracking looks like it is from watering unevenly. Concentric cracking is primarily from a watering issue. The other could be birds. Either you are very lucky or there are better things in the neighborhood, the birds in my yard would never let a tomato get past the first blush unless it is netted unless it doesn't taste that great, then they leave it alone.

[lukeout007]

Some of the cracking looks like it is from watering unevenly. Concentric cracking is primarily from a watering issue. The other could be birds. Either you are very lucky or there are better things in the neighborhood, the birds in my yard would never let a tomato get past the first blush unless it is netted unless it doesn't taste that great, then they leave it alone.

thanks for the help! I really don't see birds around here much but I've shown the pic to a few others as well and they all said inconsistent watering. :/

Guess I'll just have to be more regular about it. Thank you!

[applestar]

In the photo, the far fruit looks like it only has surface cracking that healed over. Those should be fine to eat. Sometimes spoilage starts from the crack when the skinis broken or when overripe.

Best solution for crack prone varieties (some varieties will crack at the least excuse no matter how carefully they are watered) is to pick the fruits as soon as they blush -- turns from green to pale green then to faint color. At that point nutrient transport into the fruit is severed and only water is transported, so the fruit is capable of ripening safely indoors without loss of flavor.

[n8young]

What applestar said. I have to pick my brandeywines before fully ripened. They all split if i don't. I water regularly, so it's not from inconsistent watering. I just assumed that brand of tomatoes is more prone to splitting. It's less fun to pick a not fully ripened fruit, but it is fun to watch them ripen in your window sill. Also, less chance of pests getting to the ripe fruit that way. I have a vicious tomato worm on the loose I haven't been able to find.....it's like the white whale of tomato worms.....went out last night to pick some maters and had to throw away like 6 1 lb'ers.....the damn thing had taken off about 10% of the surface flesh on most of them, and on some, far more than that. Nothing frustrates me more than that.

[gixxerific]

Yes pick them after blush, not as easy a as said.

[imafan26]

Usually, the crack prone ones get radial cracks. I didn't know some varieties were prone to concentric cracking. Learned something new.

[gixxerific]

Some are more prone radial cracking but its usuall due to being over ripe or uneven watering or both.

[dtizme]

I have a similar 1 to that. Fortunatly for me it has been the only 1 on the plant so far like that. I did get off my watering schedule for a bit so not sure if that had something to do with it or not. I got a pic attached.

[gixxerific]

When posting pics especially those with problems it is best to tell us the variety as well. That could help in identifying a problem.

But around here if I let too much go too long bad things happen. If it is splitting make sure to use them ASAP or compost them since they will rot fast.

Good luck.

Dono

[mattie g]

I put ripe, splitting tomatoes in the fridge. When I have a good number of them, I core and seed them and put them in freezer bags to use in sauces and salsas later on.

[gixxerific]

I put ripe, splitting tomatoes in the fridge. When I have a good number of them, I core and seed them and put them in freezer bags to use in sauces and salsas later on.

Good call. I do something similar as well.

[mattie g]

Good call. I do something similar as well.[/quote]

Yup. I don't have much wiggle room in terms of being able to sacrifice tomatoes because they have some cracks or slight rot, so I have to figure out the best way to make relatively few tomatoes last a long time.

I've used tomatoes that have been frozen for up to nearly a year, and they result in sauces that taste like the maters were picked but just earlier in the day.

[imafan26]

Hey, I'm happy if I get any before the birds do.

I did have a an issue with Pruden's purple tomato. Every one had radial cracks, so I think it is a varietal trait. I only got a few with concentric cracking but that was after it rained. The tomatoes I had were large but bland and I let them get too ripe, so they weren't as firm as I like. Was the blandness because they had too much water? They were in pots and I water every day. The plants were in 18 gallon containers and they were about 6-7 ft tall. Should I let my tomatoes dry out a bit more before I water to improve flavor?

[rainbowgardener]

Was the blandness because they had too much water? YES They were in pots and I water every day. The plants were in 18 gallon containers and they were about 6-7 ft tall. Should I let my tomatoes dry out a bit more before I water to improve flavor? YES