grape tomatoes are all splitting~

[tuffy]

I don't know what variety of grape tomatoes I have this yr but they are teardrop shaped, delicious and sweet. I have millions of them BUT~ they are all splitting as soon as they start to ripen?? Anything I can do to prevent this?? If the problem is too much water, can't control the rain!

 

[cwhit590]

I don't know what variety of grape tomatoes I have this yr but they are teardrop shaped, delicious and sweet. I have millions of them BUT~ they are all splitting as soon as they start to ripen?? Anything I can do to prevent this?? If the problem is too much water, can't control the rain!

Welcome tuffy!

I'm kinda wondering about this too....I have 2 grape tomatoes in the garden and one of them has splitting/cracking fruits. They are literally right next to each other....the fruit on the 1st one is perfect, and the fruits on the 2nd one all seem to crack/split...? All the other tomatoes seem fine....no cracking/splitting........I have 2 cherry tomatoes next to the grapes and they are fine too.

 

[patandchickens]

Yup, that is particularly a problem with really wet years, there is not always a lot you can do about it. Some varieties are more cracking-prone than others, and the small tomatoes (cherry, grape, currant) are usually worse for it than full sized tomatoes.

Someone told me once that they lightly root-pruned their tomatoes to reduce the incidence of cracking, like you might do for cabbages, but have never heard it anywhere else and never tried it and really have no idea. It sounded like they were talking about just sticking a shovel in, in one or two places near the plant, to sever some roots. I have no idea if it helps.

What I find especially frustrating is when the tomatoes are fine when you pick them, but when you go to take them out of the bowl 5 minutes later half of them have cracked.

Only thing I know of is to eat them ASAP so they don't sit split-open for long

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[lesa]

I am really fond of dried cherry tomatoes- so I just cut them where the crack is (trim a little, if necessary) and put them in the dehydrator. Works out fine for me...It seems the little pear shaped yellow ones, are nearly impossible to grow without splitting- I don't care what the weather is.

 

[vfem]

If it helps, I have had a TON of cracking issues this year with new varieties of my large tomatoes... but NOT my Chocolate Cherry Tomato. It is holding up fabulously! It may be a type to give a try. They are sweet and get a good size, I like to cut the tops off and stuff them with cheese!!!! Yummmmmm

But my purple cherokee are slitting so badly I have to pick them early and ripen them in the house. Then I have to blanch and peel them to use them for anything. Right now I have a crock pot full of tomato sauce made from all my badly cracked purple cherokee, green sausage and italian market tomatoes. So horrible looking!

Hoping for another White wonder tomato to ripen, they aren't cracking either!!!! Those are great for slicing as well.

Ok, enough about my cracking and none cracking maters.

 

[bills]

Some good info about this problem, and what you might be able to do to prevent it. In some cases there is not much you can do.

http://www.agrisupportonline.com/Articles/cracking_in_tomatoes.htm