Tomatoes split because of fluctuations in the amount of water they get. If it’s been very dry, and then all of a sudden you get a couple of inches of rain, the insides of the tomatoes grow faster than the outer skin and the tomatoes crack.
While we were reading we ran into the inquiry “Why do home grown tomatoes split?”.
You see, tomatoes split due to fluctuations in the amount of water they receive. 1 When tomatoes grow in drought conditions or have little supplemental water, heavy rain can cause the insides of the tomatoes to grow faster than the outer skin, resulting in the tomatoes cracking.
Why do tomatoes split at top?
From yellowing leaves to curled leaves and of course, tomatoes splitting. Simply put, tomatoes split due to excessive watering, especially after a period of drought. The water causes the fruits to expand faster than skin can grow, cause it to split. Some tomato varieties are more susceptible to cracking due to thinner skin.
Tomatoes splitting open is caused when the inside of the tomato grows to fast for the skin. This is normally from when tomatoes have received more water than normal. It is very important to give tomato plants even watering throughout the growing season and it becomes even more important once they start to form fruit.
Can you still eat tomatoes if they split off?
If your tomatoes do split, it’s important to harvest them as quickly as possible. Split tomatoes are much more susceptible to rot and insect damage. While you may not be able to completely avoid splitting, don’t worry–you can still eat the tomatoes!
Another thing we wanted the answer to was, should you pick tomatoes that have concentric splitting?
One thought is that concentric splitting on tomatoes usually heals quickly, preventing mold and rot from setting in. However, you should likely still pick split fruits promptly. If cracks occur before the fruit is ripe, do your best to adjust the watering schedule and improve aeration. If left on the vine too long, concentric cracks can still lead to rotting.
What makes tomatoes split or crack on the vine?
Essentially, tomatoes will split or crack from sudden changes in soil water content, which can cause the inner fruit to grow and expand more quickly than the skin of the tomato, causing it to break (or split) open .
One source stated minor cracks can also occur during hot and dry spells. The tomatoes’ skin dries out just like ours, chapping and cracking away. You’ll notice that your tomatoes can split in different ways – vertically or concentrically. Vertical splits cut across your tomato from the top of the fruit to the bottom.
How do you keep Tomatoes from splitting when it rains?
You can’t always prevent tomato splitting; a rainstorm that dumps several inches of rain on your garden in a few hours will result in split tomatoes no matter what you do. But you can make it less likely that your tomatoes will split by doing the following: Water Regularly and Deeply .