On 16 Sep 2005 12:19:40 -0700, wrote:

This has been my first proper year of growing tomatoes, and all things
considered, I'm very pleased with the results, given too much rain, and
not enough sunshine. All my plants seem to be producing fair
quantities without me doing much apart from supporting and trimming
them. Though I have noticed that if you leave the fruit on the plant
too long, the skins seem to split, which doesn't seem a good thing.
On the other hand, the longer you leave the fruit, the riper and
sweeter and tomatoier (if there such a word) they get. There must be
some recognised way of dealing with this dilemma.

I have had this problem this year but never before.
I am sure it is due to lack of water. Because of changed circumstances
I have not been able to get to my allotment so often this year, and
there has been very little rain during the flowering and fruiting
period of the tomatoes. U know they have not had the watering of
previous years.
The ones which are splitting are largely the cherry ones and in
particular, Sungold.
Due to blight I have had to uproot all my tomatoes and have picked the
so far unaffected fruit. The cherry ones do not have blight but I have
picked them anyway and have them spread on trays in my house.
They are continuing to split.
I am madly making tomato puree to freeze and eating and giving away as
many as I can!

Pam in Bristol