Split tomatoes

brownp · « **on:** August 28, 2013, 19:34 »

I have about ten tomato plants , outside in growbags. I'm not sure of variety.
I hiave noticed that all of the green toms are fine but as they ripen they are splitting around the tops.
It definitely isn't down to infrequent watering as I have watered them each and every day since tomatoes appeared.
Could it be down to overwatering? I don't drench them but have made sure that the compost stays damp.
Thanks
Phil

A Reyt Tayty · « **Reply #1 on:** August 28, 2013, 19:43 »

The usual suspect is underwatering followed by overwatering. Saying that, I'm growing 4 different varieties, inside and out, all getting the same water and same feed. One variety, Tigrella, is producing quite a few splitters, there is not a single splitter on the other 3 varieties. Go figure.

brownp · « **Reply #2 on:** August 28, 2013, 19:49 »

I have had a couple of weeks where they have been on an automatic timer as I have been away. I'm wondering if there has been rain in addition and it has, as you say, overwatered them?
Not sure...I think I'm destined to never harvest any decent tomatoes, I always seem to fail....never mind, I'll keep a close eye on the watering from now on and see if they carry on splitting...
Thanks

Steveharford · « **Reply #3 on:** August 28, 2013, 21:57 »

I have automatically watered my toms, inside and out, since they first started flowering. One hour twice a day. No splitters at all. I wonder if its just as important to have a decent quantity of soil. I never have thought grow bags had enough medium to grow in successfully. All mine are in really big pots. The smallest being a plastic builders bucket. Anyway this is the first year I have used auto watering and I have had splitters and BER up until this year

Godhelm · « **Reply #4 on:** August 28, 2013, 22:16 »

Monty Don concluded, to his surprise and disappointment, that growbags were second only to growing in the ground and better than large plastic pots and half-filled terracotta pots.

Trillium · « **Reply #5 on:** August 29, 2013, 02:28 »

If you're getting splits at the top of the tomatoes then it's a problem called cat facing. It can be due to numerous things, sometimes even too much sun.

There's more info on it HERE

A Reyt Tayty · « **Reply #6 on:** August 29, 2013, 09:51 »

Mine split down the sides from top to bottom.

JayG · « **Reply #7 on:** August 29, 2013, 10:11 »

Last year I grew Sungold and Sweet Million in large growbags in the GH - nearly every Sungold split from top to bottom (not far to go!) but almost none of the SM did.

This year they are both being grown in my "planters from pallets" with a good depth of compost, and along the same side of the greenhouse. Same result as last year!

I don't get the impression that this is a widespread problem with Sungold, so I must be at least partly to blame, although I can't help suspecting they are more prone to splitting than some other varieties.

heloise · « **Reply #8 on:** August 29, 2013, 11:25 »

Have to say that many of my Sungold have split (not that this stops me scoffing them

) this year but none of the Shirley, Gardeners delight or Roma have and they're all getting the same water at the same time, in the same grow bags next to each other.
I just assumed some varieties were more prone to this than others as well.

Amilo · « **Reply #9 on:** August 29, 2013, 12:56 »

I missed for one day the watering of my "money maker" tom's that are in large pots in the green house, as a result of that I now have a circular split or just a stretch mark scar around the top of some fruit. The lack of water coupled with my not opening the door, even though I have an auto opening window on what was a hot sunny day has coursed the split. Fortunately the splits are very shallow and not really damaged the fruit.

Headgardener22 · « **Reply #10 on:** August 29, 2013, 13:30 »

I have found that splitting is caused by overwatering once the tomatoes are "ripe green". Tomatoes go through a stage when they are "ripe" but not yet changed colour. (At this point you can pick them and they will ripen). If you continue to water them a lot at this point, the chances are that they will split.

Catfacing is caused by something else (low temperatures when the tomatoes are setting) but obviously if your tomatoes have catfacing, they are more likely to split.

I think splitting is worse this year because the heat has slowed down the ripening, so there's a longer stage when the tomatoes are ripe but not changed colour meaning that they're more likely to split when watered.

Obviously, some varieties are more likely to split than others because they have thinner skins.

JayG · « **Reply #11 on:** August 29, 2013, 13:59 »

For those wanting to really indulge their tomato hypochondria when it comes to problems not caused by pathogens or insects there are some descriptions HERE.

(Best not to Gurgle a complete list of what can go wrong with tomatoes unless you have access to effective anti-hypochondria medication!

)

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Split tomatoes

brownp

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