split tomatoes why?

[peppermint patty]

Hi after my first go at growing tomatoes last year which was a disaster because i planted far too many seeds and ended up with about 30 plants and no tomatoes I decided to concentrate on just a couple of plants. Thought things were growing great and had two big plants which had loads of green tomatoes. The problem is they keep spliting! There seems to be a very small window for picking them before they split. Half of the tomatoes on the vine could be green a couple orange and then as soon as one goes ripe and red it seems to split.

The tomatoes are outside in a grow bag and i give them tomato food every couple of weeks. not sure if i am over watering them or underwatering them!

I have also discovered slugs can climb fences and attack my tomatoes grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

I would be interested if anyone knows what my trouble is the tomatoes are small cherry ones not sure which variety l lost the packet!

[pumpy]

Hiya P.P.,there are a few reasons for splitting,but,generally,it's due to erratic watering. You feed 'em every 2 weeks,but what about in-between?

[peppermint patty]

hmm i am quite irregular in when i water them I have to admit! Should I put tomato feed in every time I water them?

[Rod in Japan]

Tomatoes don't like to be watered much. In fact, people here generally rig up little plastic roofs over tomato plants to keep the rain off them. I usually have so many tomatoes that I haven't bothered and have let mine split, but next year I think I'll be putting up a roof.

Tomatoes are originally from a stony desert region in South America, and actually like to be hot and fairly dry.

[Millymollymandy]

The plastic roofs and plastic bag coverings are to keep the rain off to keep blight at bay!

In my experience tomatoes grown in pots do like a reasonable lot of water - I plant them in really huge pots and it is amazing how quickly they fill it with roots. I water regularly every day, sometimes twice a day, yet they always split when it rains.

So my vote is overwatering as the cause of splitting.

P.S. Liquid tomato feed is usually done once a week but check the instructions on the packet/bottle/whatever - and that's for plants in pots. Much less frequent feeding if they are planted in the ground.

[Jules]

Yep, it is definelty overwatering. Did that a couple of years ago and it was confusing to me at the time.

Also a good tip for tomatoes is to water at regular times. Ie, don't let them do dry and then overwater.... it prevents tip rot.

Happy eating!

[Andy Hamilton]

It down to watering piratically.

[Shirley]

It down to watering piratically.

Ahhhh methinks that is the reason me hearties.

[AXJ]

If you let the soil dry out and then water them, they pull up the moisture and fill up faster than they can grow, basically they explode. Regular watering, and not letting them dry out is the answer. After a year of toms in small to medium pots, other than vowing to have larger pots next year, and less plants. I have experimented with a variety of watering practises, keeping them moist, with a good drink once or twice a day (we have good sun here) seems to provide the best results. With out good sun, I am sure that Rod's suggestion of having roofs to avoid over wateriing would be the way to go.

[gdb]

The little roofs are definitely to keep blight off. (But as an aside they also stop water from falling directly onto the plants as well).

If you are pestered by blight - your tommies at the end of the season going nasty brown and kind of wrinkly - then a little roof over each plant is your answer. As the fungus is spread by rain splashing the soil onto the plant.

[Millymollymandy]

This is what I don't understand - I never got blight in England and I grew toms for years there. I never got blight in Ain either and I lived there for 7 years and grew tomatoes. Must be something about Brittany, cos my cherry toms succumbed to it at the end of September, and I've also had blight here during a drought with not a drop of rain!