Hi everyone,
This year, our tomatoes all have had cracks in them, some little, some
bigger. Happens as soon as they start to ripen. We're doing something wrong,
just no clue what..
any advice/help greatly appreciated,
thanks,
lucy

Lucy wrote:
Hi everyone,
This year, our tomatoes all have had cracks in them, some little, some
bigger. Happens as soon as they start to ripen. We're doing something wrong,
just no clue what..
any advice/help greatly appreciated,
thanks,
lucy




Irregular watering usually causes cracking. A dry spell made up with a
soaking can cause the inside to expand and the skin can't keep up.

You can still eat the tomato but it won't keep as long. The easiest
solution to to ensure even watering. If you have a dry spell, don't
respond with a torrent of water. Instead, give them an even watering
every day. It may be hard if they're outside and subject to a heavy
rainfall...the best way to ensure this doesn't cause the cracking is
simply not to let the plants get bone dry. Mulching around them will
help retain the moisture as well.

..

Zone 5a in Canada's Far East.

Lucy wrote:
Hi everyone,
This year, our tomatoes all have had cracks in them, some little, some
bigger. Happens as soon as they start to ripen. We're doing something wrong,
just no clue what..
any advice/help greatly appreciated,
thanks,
lucy


Cracking usually is caused by heavy watering, either rain or by hand,
and then a dry spell, and then heavy watering again. Being summer
doesn't help it either. You can still eat them, they're just not pretty
anymore.

George

"George Shirley" wrote in message
.. .
Lucy wrote:
Hi everyone,
This year, our tomatoes all have had cracks in them, some little, some
bigger. Happens as soon as they start to ripen. We're doing something
wrong, just no clue what..
any advice/help greatly appreciated,
thanks,
lucy


Cracking usually is caused by heavy watering, either rain or by hand, and
then a dry spell, and then heavy watering again. Being summer doesn't help
it either. You can still eat them, they're just not pretty anymore.

George

Thank you both SO much. The problem isn't the weather, it's my ignorance,
ugh. I'd been watering them a decent amount every few days.. I heard
somewhere it's best to water a garden infrequently and deeply. It wasn't
this group, a magazine or something I think? lol
So I will water them daily now.. thanks again everyone!
Also, I should probably make this a new post, and will if I don't get
responses, but I'm new at all this and have so many questions. We have just
a few stalks of corn and one ear, the silk has been brown a week or so now..
how do you tell when it is time to pick it?
thanks again, both of you!
lucy

"Lucy" wrote in message
. com...
Hi everyone,
This year, our tomatoes all have had cracks in them, some little, some
bigger. Happens as soon as they start to ripen. We're doing something
wrong,
just no clue what..
any advice/help greatly appreciated,

Pinching suckers can cause the root / stem system to become out-of-balance,
such that the plant's uptake of water is more than the fruit loading can
bear, which can result in cracking.

In article ,
"TQ" ToweringQs AT adelphia.net wrote:

"Lucy" wrote in message
. com...
Hi everyone,
This year, our tomatoes all have had cracks in them, some little, some
bigger. Happens as soon as they start to ripen. We're doing something
wrong,
just no clue what..
any advice/help greatly appreciated,

Pinching suckers can cause the root / stem system to become out-of-balance,
such that the plant's uptake of water is more than the fruit loading can
bear, which can result in cracking.

I have no special knowledge, only my observations from growing in heavey
clay. I use drip irrigation (emmiters every 12 inches, 1/2 gallon per
hour) and let the water run for about an hour. I continue this practice
unless I start to get overwhelmed with the quantity of ripe tomatoes.
When this occurs, I reduce the watering to every other day, or less,
depending on whether the ground is still damp just below the surface of
the soil. I don't want the ground to become dry. I've been doing this
for about 6 years and haven't had any cracked tomatoes yet, except for
when the rains come. Then all you can do is gorge or can. Hope this
helps.