hb21936
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tomatoes splitting

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I know irregular watering causes tomatoes to split. I just want to make sure that's the reason mine look like they do. We haven't watered in almost 2 weeks because of all the rain central Texas has had. We have rain in the forecast for the next 10 days, so I'm not sure how to pick a water schedule. I picked them early right after a rain of 3". They were already splitting but I figured the extra rain would make it worse. Are they still edible After they ripen?

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Francis Barnswallow
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Location: Orlando

Happens to me all the time when the rains come....Keep in mind my area gets tons of rain this time of year. During the winter (yes I can grow tomatoes during the Florida winter)....it's very dry and I usually get tomatoes with no splits on them.

I always chalk the tomato splits to too much water. As for edible, when they ripen which shouldn't take long, just cut the split areas out and enjoy.

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rainbowgardener
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Location: TN/GA 7b

There are a number of causes of cracking including irregular watering. In drier periods, growth slows down and the skin may harden. Then it is more vulnerable to cracking when the rain comes again. One thing you can do about that is try not to let it dry out between rains. A good layer of mulch over the soil helps with this, as well as helping prevent soil borne diseases.

Plants that are succulent and fast growing are more vulnerable to cracking. So don't over do the nitrogen.

Cracking can also be caused by expansion and contraction of the fruit due to temperature fluctuations, if you are having wide swings between day and night temps. This gets worse if the plant has been pruned in a way that doesn't let much leaf cover for the fruit remain. The fruit then heats up more in the sun and then cools more at night.

Radial cracking like yours (vertical splits running down from the stem) usually are more related to hot humid weather.

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digitS'
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Location: ID/WA! border

With an semi-arid climate and overhead sprinklers, my tomatoes can have a lot of trouble with spitting.

As Rainbow Gardener suggests, a tough skin is not desirable. Look for varieties that are described as resistant to splitting. It doesn't mean they are tough skinned. The skin should be flexible.

Some varieties are prone to splitting. Any that are other-than-round may be. There are various ways of describing the shape - ruffled or ribbed, they are just too likely to split in my garden. If that occurs early and doesn't heal well, decay may set in.

Some split with round, watershedding shapes. Black cherries are popular, I guess, deservedly so. I'd have split fruit after every watering. Bring intact fruit into the kitchen and rinse them - they'd crack. Sun Sugar cherries are less inclined to crack than Sungold. Sungold are a little earlier and I like their flavor better. So, my 10 year trail growing them side by side, continues :).

Steve

imafan26
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What you have is radial cracking. Some varieties are prone to it, so it is hard to stop. What variety are you planting?

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digitS'
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I guess mine is a "trial" ...

but, it could be a "trail" ;) ... of golden cherries.

Questions about varieties that split and those that don't - I think those are about the best on a tomato forum.

Steve

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Gary350
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Location: TN. 50 years of gardening experience.

In Tennessee we get 300 days of rain every year. I only have that problem with certain variety of tomatoes. I always plant 6 different kinds of tomatoes the Beef Steak, Jet Star, Beef Master, and Big Beef never have that problem. I don't think it has anything to do with rain. Tennessee humidity is rarely below 90%, channel 5 News reports humity near 100% most of the time.

imafan26
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I don't get a lot of cracking on heat resistant tomatoes either Big Beef, Beefsteak, Heatwave II.
But sun gold, brandywine, Pruden's purple tomatoes will almost always crack when ripe regardless of weather.

I have a lot of humidity around 80% all the time but I only have problems with severe cracking after we have a storm come by and then we have a dry period that follows.

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rainbowgardener
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What part of TN would that be that gets 300 days of rain a year? I'm getting ready to move to Chattanooga TN. Sperling's tells me it has 207 sunny days a year and 121 precipitation days a year (=328, I wonder what the other 37 days are?). Seattle gets 155 days of rain a year. The cities in the US with the most precipitation days are Rochester and Buffalo NY with 167 each, but a lot of those are snow days. https://www.currentresults.com/Weather-E ... cities.php



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