How to stop my toms from splitting?

**Spunky** · 19-05-2014, 06:13 PM

I think it comes from irregular watering esbo which is hard because it could be baking hot while you're at work then you can come home and water them heavily, if you know it's going to be hot and there not in the ground you could part fill a tray under a pot to keep them moist through the day or the only other way could be to drip feed them water

**chris** · 19-05-2014, 06:22 PM

What variety are they? Some are prone to splitting

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**esbo** · 19-05-2014, 06:24 PM

Originally posted by Spunky View Post

I think it comes from irregular watering esbo which is hard because it could be baking hot while you're at work then you can come home and water them heavily, if you know it's going to be hot and there not in the ground you could part fill a tray under a pot to keep them moist through the day or the only other way could be to drip feed them water

I thought the problem was watering them daily!!

However it has occurred to me if I pick them early they are less likely to split?

I think they only split when they are red?

Mine were watered nearly every day, however I did stop watering for while late on as
I though that might help them ripen, then after a down pour a load split.

So I am not too sure what to do with the watering as I did a bit of both, regular them
irregular.

I though if I let them get thirsty it might encourage root growth, but I am not sure if that is a good idea or not now.

**esbo** · 19-05-2014, 06:26 PM

Originally posted by chris View Post

What variety are they? Some are prone to splitting

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B & M

I got them in a seed multi-pack` from B & M

Actually I just found the pack and it says Cherry Tomato Cerise.

The local B & M close down so I used old seeds this year for Cherry and not many germinated so
I don't have as many plants as I would like hence preventing splitting will be a big bonus.
Last year I had tonne of them so so I could afford to lose a lot of them (and I did).

**Scarlet** · 19-05-2014, 06:35 PM

Are you growing them in the ground, buckets or grow bags? Watering correctly can be difficult with grow bags and this can cause splitting, when the bag dries out and then is soaked etc. when growing in the ground they don't dry out as much. Also as Chris said, sometimes the variety is prone to splitting.

**esbo** · 19-05-2014, 08:41 PM

They are in the ground outside.

Something has also attacked 2 of them (not sure how many I have for sure) and bitten the top off the main stem

I think it might be a squirrel.

**Potstubsdustbins** · 19-05-2014, 09:00 PM

Irregular watering of toms is a no-no. If you let them dry out and then give them a good soak (as happened with the down pour) the fruit swells quickly and this will split the skins. You should keep the growing medium moist at all times. Irregular watering can also cause blossom end rot on the base of the fruit.

**solanaceae** · 19-05-2014, 10:59 PM

1) yes as others have pointed out make sure that you water evenly. If there is heavy rain in the forecast then you will want to change your routine. Either cancel your scheduled watering or just water a little bit on the off chance the forecast is wrong and there is no rain.

2) there is no need to keep toms that are no longer green on your plant. Once they start to turn red even slightly this signals the end of the growth stage and beginning of the ripening stage. In my experience splitting only happens with the toms that are in the process of ripening, So once you see any pink or red toms just pick them off cuz they won't be growing any bigger. Then put them in a drawer/ windowsill and let them finish ripening there.

**esbo** · 20-05-2014, 12:21 AM

Originally posted by Potstubsdustbins View Post

Irregular watering of toms is a no-no. If you let them dry out and then give them a good soak (as happened with the down pour) the fruit swells quickly and this will split the skins. You should keep the growing medium moist at all times. Irregular watering can also cause blossom end rot on the base of the fruit.

Does that mean daily? I watered regularly early one but neglected it at the fruiting/ripening stage, would have been better the other way round.

I may also try picking some before they are fully ripe.

It tends to be that you get downpour towards the end of summer here which does not help much!!

**BertieFox** · 20-05-2014, 08:47 AM

Unfortunately the BEST thin skinned types are more prone to splitting, while the attractive looking leather shelled lumps often sold as F1 hybrids, are not nice to eat at all. (unless you like chewing a lot)

Growing them outside is difficult to control as a dry period is often followed by heavy rain making the skins split, while in the greenhouse although you can control watering better, they are more likely to dry out.

Flavour improves if you grow them with minimal water. But the best way to stop them splitting is to keep the roots constantly moist with a drip irrigation system.

**esbo** · 20-05-2014, 05:01 PM

Originally posted by BertieFox View Post

Unfortunately the BEST thin skinned types are more prone to splitting, while the attractive looking leather shelled lumps often sold as F1 hybrids, are not nice to eat at all. (unless you like chewing a lot)

Growing them outside is difficult to control as a dry period is often followed by heavy rain making the skins split, while in the greenhouse although you can control watering better, they are more likely to dry out.

Flavour improves if you grow them with minimal water. But the best way to stop them splitting is to keep the roots constantly moist with a drip irrigation system.

Lol I gave some to my mum and the first thing she say was the skins are thick, she is not one for unnecessary complements

**Mikey** · 20-05-2014, 05:17 PM

I have one this year which is prone to splitting, I think its Black Heart, or Black Seaman one or other I can't remember.

Watering early in the day before you go to work or last thing at night will help this way you stand a chance that even if you have a very dry day they'll cope.

**esbo** · 20-05-2014, 07:21 PM

The issue for me is what is irregular watering? Is once a week irregular? Or twice a week? Or how about every other day?

I suppose the key think is the plants have access to enough water all the time? So then if you water deeply twice a week you should be OK?
I think my problems started or got a lot worse after a huge down pour, it was pretty clear that what I was putting on them was fairly trivial in comparison, however mine was targeted fairly close to the root.

At one point I watered a little further away to encourage root spread but perhaps this was a bad idea?

But as well as being more careful with my watering I will think about picking them earlier, problem is I like to be able to see the red fruits on the vine to impress the neighbours

**snakeshack** · 20-05-2014, 10:18 PM

Irregular watering means letting them dry out the suddenly drowning them. This makes the flesh expand more than the skins can cope with so they split, irregular watering also contributes to blossom end rot where the end of the fruit opposite the stem is damaged. This is caused by under watering resulting in an inability to intake and distribute calcium to the fruits.
The answer is to set up a drip watering system to keep the soil evenly moist , it doesn't have to be fancy you can even get / make one using a bag or bucket as a reservoir then just top up in the morning , it's a dandy way to feed too

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