One fine morning I started strolling outside my home and all of a sudden I glimpsed my neighbor’s tomato garden. At once, I started comparing my tomatoes with his. To my dismay, I found his garden full of plump, ripe, radiant, sun-kissed, succulent, and gleaming tomatoes.

On the flip side, I had tomatoes split on the vines, out of shape and unattractive.

 

At once I started researching the secret behind my neighbor’s beautiful tomatoes free from split and blemishes.

Here’s what I found:

Why Does A Tomato Crack On The Vine?

To understand ‘why does a tomato crack on the vine’ we all need to understand the science behind tomato cracking. When a tomato absorbs water too quickly which usually happens after heavy rain or unplanned watering, tomatoes crack.

 

As the quick absorption of water allows the inside of the fruit to expand faster than the outer layer, the skin splits. In addition, temperature fluctuations and thin-skinned varieties of the fruit contribute to its cracking.

 

A commonly used term in tomato cracking is “radial cracking” which suggests that the tomatoes have vertical cracks. Furthermore, it indicates that one can spot the split from their stems to the bottom.

 

There is also a different type of crack in tomatoes known as “concentric cracks “which looks similar to rings or circles. You can spot them between the stems and shoulders of the fruits.

I found radial cracking in tomatoes to be more dangerous than “concentric cracks”.

 

Thus, water fluctuations, heat stress, and thin-skinned varieties of tomatoes contribute to their splitting more than anything else.

 

How to Prevent Tomato From Splitting:

If you are keen on preventing your tomatoes from splitting and want to harvest radiant tomatoes that people will envy, you should tread my path:

 

Soil preparation:

Your first and foremost duty is to prepare your soil sensibly. If you prepare soil sensibly before planting seeds, you can easily avoid splits and cracks. In addition, well-prepared soil has the capability to deter pests and diseases. First of all, you should keep your soil even and consistently moist. In doing so, you will be able to send water deep which will form good roots.

Smart Watering Techniques:

Instead of using a hand-held hose or sprinkler, consider using a soaker hose or a drip irrigation system because a hand-held hose or a sprinkler will not be as effective as a drip irrigation system in sending the water deeper into the ground.

As the dry leaves are likely to invite diseases, it is advisable to keep the leaves of your plants dry. You can consider using 2-3 inches of organic mulch or compost around your tomatoes.

Depending on the weather conditions of your locality, you can pick your unripe tomatoes and keep them indoors for ripening.

 

Another smart way to prevent tomatoes from cracking is by planting them in raised containers.

Choosing Resistant Varieties:

Choosing resistant varieties of tomatoes is another smart move by which you can prevent your beloved tomatoes from splitting. Below I list some of my favorite- resistant varieties of tomatoes:

• Daybreak
• Baxter’s Early Bush
• Marglobe
• Heinz
• Mountain Spring
• Mountain Fresh
• Jet Star