Its Sept and for the last week, my tomatoes have been cracking

Elliot · September 4, 2011

I know the saying is that cracking is caused by lack of proper watering but why does this only happy toward the end of the season. My watering methods have not altered.

RayR · September 4, 2011

Lots of water can lead to cracking too. I always see more cracking after heavy rains
Some varieties are more prone to cracking, others with thicker skins don't seem to ever crack.

kath · September 4, 2011

My tomatoes have been cracking badly for weeks- ever since we began getting rain in amounts of several inches at a time. I'm assuming the weather patterns have been similar where you are located.
Looks like we're in for more of the same this week.

Kath

Alberta · September 4, 2011

Elliot think about all the rain we had last week and the week before that too.

Alberta

Elliot · September 4, 2011

Everyone says its do to too much, too little, or sudden amounts of water. This would not explain why this tends to be a late season phenomenon

ddsack · September 5, 2011

It's probably a perceived percentage thing, because in the late summer/fall you have more tomatoes that are at the blush or ripe stage where they have finished their growth and can't accomodate more water without splitting. Earlier in the season, most of them are still in the green stages so they can use the water to help size up without splitting. And it's definitely variety related. Maybe the early tomato varieties you've chosen, were not as prone to splitting? The beefsteaks always seem to be more touchy than the globe shapes in my garden. And I don't recall ever seeing an Opalka split, not to say it couldn't. Maybe the denser paste varieties just don't allow as much water uptake in the fruit.

Elliot · September 12, 2011

This might explain it. There are more ripe tomatoes on the plants now then in the early part of the season.

I went out today and virtually every red tomato whether large or grape sized had a crack down the center. Soem of the cracks were through and through with fruit flies all around them and some were superficial cracks. I picked them even though they were not totally ripe.

kath · September 12, 2011

Quote:

Originally Posted by Elliot

I went out today and virtually every red tomato whether large or grape sized had a crack down the center. Soem of the cracks were through and through with fruit flies all around them and some were superficial cracks. I picked them even though they were not totally ripe.

That's been necessary for me since early August- if I can't pick them before they crack through, even though it means picking them almost totally green, they're lost to either the bugs or rotting before they're ripe enough to eat.

Elliot · September 12, 2011

Quote:

Originally Posted by kath

That's been necessary for me since early August- if I can't pick them before they crack through, even though it means picking them almost totally green, they're lost to either the bugs or rotting before they're ripe enough to eat.

Somehow I can't say that the blame is on watering. There has to be another reason

FILMNET · September 12, 2011

Its the tides, i live by the ocean!!! Or maybe its the rain which come from the west.

gixxerific · September 12, 2011

I'm with you Elliot. I have been getting the same thing. Early this year my tomatoes were doing awesome I couldn't keep up with them and not a single crack. But after the heat wave the flowers stopped producing, the rain has been less than normal. My watering is the same as usual but all I get now after the first cool weather flush is cracked tom's. Most rot so soon after they are not usable.

I do see what was said about there being less tom's on the plant and they might crack due to more water for the lesser number. But it has been dry here, very dry.

We had our first real rain in a few month's last weekend. Maybe I should just stop watering all together and see what happens. I don't think I over water, heck I believe I have been under watering.

Last year was different weather but I couldn't hardly get a tomato without it cracking even in the green stage. Last year was almost a total bust for me.

Just weird how the first part of the season went without a hitch now it's almost making me want to tear them all up. But that is hard to do.

September 4, 2011	#1
Elliot Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Hicksville, New York Posts: 503	Its Sept and for the last week, my tomatoes have been cracking I know the saying is that cracking is caused by lack of proper watering but why does this only happy toward the end of the season. My watering methods have not altered.

September 5, 2011	#6
ddsack Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Northern Minnesota - zone 3 Posts: 3,231	It's probably a perceived percentage thing, because in the late summer/fall you have more tomatoes that are at the blush or ripe stage where they have finished their growth and can't accomodate more water without splitting. Earlier in the season, most of them are still in the green stages so they can use the water to help size up without splitting. And it's definitely variety related. Maybe the early tomato varieties you've chosen, were not as prone to splitting? The beefsteaks always seem to be more touchy than the globe shapes in my garden. And I don't recall ever seeing an Opalka split, not to say it couldn't. Maybe the denser paste varieties just don't allow as much water uptake in the fruit. __________________ Dee **************

September 4, 2011	#2
RayR Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Cheektowaga, NY Posts: 2,466	Lots of water can lead to cracking too. I always see more cracking after heavy rains Some varieties are more prone to cracking, others with thicker skins don't seem to ever crack.

September 4, 2011	#3
kath Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: zone 6b, PA Posts: 5,664	My tomatoes have been cracking badly for weeks- ever since we began getting rain in amounts of several inches at a time. I'm assuming the weather patterns have been similar where you are located. Looks like we're in for more of the same this week. Kath

September 4, 2011	#4
Alberta Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Mastic, NY Posts: 212	Elliot think about all the rain we had last week and the week before that too. Alberta

September 12, 2011	#7
Elliot Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Hicksville, New York Posts: 503	This might explain it. There are more ripe tomatoes on the plants now then in the early part of the season. I went out today and virtually every red tomato whether large or grape sized had a crack down the center. Soem of the cracks were through and through with fruit flies all around them and some were superficial cracks. I picked them even though they were not totally ripe.

September 12, 2011	#10
FILMNET Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: North Charleston,South Carolina, USA Posts: 1,803	Its the tides, i live by the ocean!!! Or maybe its the rain which come from the west.

September 12, 2011	#11
gixxerific Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: in the gutter, with my mouth Posts: 123	I'm with you Elliot. I have been getting the same thing. Early this year my tomatoes were doing awesome I couldn't keep up with them and not a single crack. But after the heat wave the flowers stopped producing, the rain has been less than normal. My watering is the same as usual but all I get now after the first cool weather flush is cracked tom's. Most rot so soon after they are not usable. I do see what was said about there being less tom's on the plant and they might crack due to more water for the lesser number. But it has been dry here, very dry. We had our first real rain in a few month's last weekend. Maybe I should just stop watering all together and see what happens. I don't think I over water, heck I believe I have been under watering. Last year was different weather but I couldn't hardly get a tomato without it cracking even in the green stage. Last year was almost a total bust for me. Just weird how the first part of the season went without a hitch now it's almost making me want to tear them all up. But that is hard to do.