Rain, splitting, cracking and gold medal toms,

[SharonRossy]

Hi everyone. Carolyn if you're there I need advices. A couple of things.
So I've been experiencing cracking and I'm being careful about watering and then we had a lot of rain starting Thursday and Friday. Just went out to check, and voila, some have split! As well I found what looks like droppings on some leaves where I had found some skinny little critter and a couple of small tomatoes had vpbeen attacked. I sprayed with an insecticidal soap but don't know if it's going to work.

Also. GoldMedal toms. I was given a couple of them. They are tall and lush, a few tomatoes that are getting large, and lots of flowers becoming fruits. I think I should cut off tops. Any hopes I will actually get to eat any of these babies???
Anyone with advice, please. I live in Montreal.
Thanks,
Sharon

[carolyn137]

Originally Posted by SharonRossy

Hi everyone. Carolyn if you're there I need advices. A couple of things.
So I've been experiencing cracking and I'm being careful about watering and then we had a lot of rain starting Thursday and Friday. Just went out to check, and voila, some have split! As well I found what looks like droppings on some leaves where I had found some skinny little critter and a couple of small tomatoes had vpbeen attacked. I sprayed with an insecticidal soap but don't know if it's going to work.

Also. GoldMedal toms. I was given a couple of them. They are tall and lush, a few tomatoes that are getting large, and lots of flowers becoming fruits. I think I should cut off tops. Any hopes I will actually get to eat any of these babies???
Anyone with advice, please. I live in Montreal.
Thanks,
Sharon

Sharon, I know the rain deluges you've received lately b'c I've been trying to watch the Rogers Cup tennis, women at Montreal and men at Toronto/

Splitting is normal and expected after lots of rain when the fruits are of mature size, usually, and the epidermis can no longer expand to take up more water. It's an occupational hazard fo tomato growing.

I wouldn't cut off the tops off anything at this point, b'c as far as I'm concerned there's still a lot of growing time left before first killing frost in most years. it looks like I won't get any mature fruits for several reasons but I'm not having Freda cut off the tops on any of them.

And is oft said, there's always next year.

What color and size were the droppings? And what color the skinny critter? Photos would sure help and you might want to consider posting in the Pest and Disease Forum about this issue, b'c there are lots of sleuths there and I don't normally post there b'c I spent so many years at another message site doing so. Better to let those younger than I am get involved, say I.

[SharonRossy]

Thanks Carolyn. The droppings looked like small clumps of dirt except that they were spaced out and kind of neat looking. Dark, like dirt.
As for the creature, that I squished, it was very skinny, small, maybe 2/3rds of an inch, brown, maybe a touch of yellow and the leaves were being eaten. I found two of them, one on my Better Boy and one on my Jap. Black Trifele. They are in containers next to each other. I will take your advice and go to the other forum.
What do you know about Gold Medal? I think there is still a good chance I will get to eat some of them...
Thanks, Sharon

[carolyn137]

Sharon, I'll link to Tania's page for Gold Medal and yes, I've grown it;

http://t.tatianastomatobase.com:88/wiki/Gold_Medal

It's one of over 200 named gold/red bicolors, which means that a seconday color starts bushing reddish pink from the blossom end and going up towards the stem end and how far it goes and the depth of color is often variety specific, but not all that much difference between all those ones already known.

When sliced you can see that seconday exterior color as a marbling in the interior flesh.

For me there are positives and negatives to these bi-colors but they are quite popular with lots of folks.