7 Quick Cures for Splitting, Cracked Tomatoes
Splitting tomatoes is the last thing you want to see! You’ve invested time, money, and effort into growing your crop, only to discover splits and cracks forming at the end of the season. Don’t fret—these seven quick cures will reduce splitting and prevent it from occurring in the future.
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After growing tomatoes all season long, you expect ripe, blemish-free fruits when the time for harvesting arrives. Cracks and splits aren’t just unsightly, they’re also difficult to eat! They’re the last things you expect from a homegrown tomato crop.
Though they’re unsightly, they’re easy to prevent in the future. A tomato splits when the flesh inside swells quicker than the skin. It often occurs when dry weather is followed by excessive moisture near the end of the growing season.
There are two types of splits. Some varieties, like large beefsteak-type tomatoes, have concentric cracks. These are rings that form at the tops of the fruits. Other splits are vertical, and they form on the fruits’ sides. Concentric cracks are common and nothing to worry about, while vertical splits are more worrisome.
If cracks are already occurring, fear not! Most split tomatoes are still edible, so long as they’re not rotting or full of pests. Enjoy them as you would normal tomatoes. Simply cut out the cracks and eat the rest of the flesh.
After enjoying your split tomatoes, use these quick cures to prevent more from appearing. Regulating water levels will most often solve the problem, though there are a few different ways to help. Let’s get into it!
Chocolate Cherry Pole Cherry Tomato
Chocolate Cherry Pole Cherry Tomato Seeds
Chocolate Sprinkles Pole Cherry Tomato
Chocolate Sprinkles Pole Cherry Tomato Seeds
Artisan Bumble Bee Blend Pole Cherry Tomato
Artisan Bumble Bee Blend Pole Cherry Tomato Seeds
Start Watering Consistently
Consistent watering is key! It’s the most important step to cure cracked tomatoes. Infrequent watering can lead to splits, cracks, and blossom end rot.
Tomatoes halt their growth when the weather is dry. Then, when moisture pools in the soil, they pull as much of it as possible and put it into their fruits. The skins can’t keep up with the swelling insides, and they split and crack.
Tomato plants prefer regular watering during the growing season. This means you should keep the soil moist, but not soggy, while they mature. Stick your finger in the dirt to test it. Add water if it’s dry underneath, and hold off if it’s moist beneath the surface.
Add Mulch to the Soil
A part of consistent moisture is reliant on soil quality. Free-draining soils will dry quickly, while dense, clay sites will stay soggy. Tomatoes appreciate garden loam, a mixture of equal parts sand, silt, and clay.
In sites with poor drainage, adding mulch can boost the quality of the soil and help cure cracked tomatoes. Mulch preserves moisture by holding onto it. It’ll keep it in the soil instead of letting it evaporate when heat and sunlight arrive during the day.
Mulch also improves the soil by fostering fungi, bacteria, and worms in the ground. These beneficial organisms eat decaying organic matter and convert it into nutrients that plants can access with their roots. Use an organic mulch like compost or leaf mold for the best results.
Harvest at the Breaker Stage
Rather than letting tomatoes ripen fully on the vine, you can pull them early and let them ripen on your kitchen counter. That way, they won’t be susceptible to cracking after infrequent watering. Pick them when they’re whole, and you won’t let them become split or cracked.
You may pick tomatoes when they’re halfway ripe, between 40% and 60%. Their outer skin will have hints of the mature color, and the fruits will be slightly soft when you squish them. Place them on your kitchen counter and they’ll ripen fully in a few days.
Harvesting at the breaker stage doesn’t sacrifice flavor. The tomatoes retain their sweet, juicy flesh whether you ripen them on the vine or in your kitchen. Simply let them reach the breaker stage first, then pick them off the vine for further ripening.
Provide Shade
Sometimes, cracked tomatoes occur for reasons aside from irrigation. Sunscald is one reason! Intense sunlight and heat lead to burns and scalds on the skin. These burn marks cause splitting later on, as they act as weak points where cracks appear.
Providing shade during heat waves protects the skin from burns and scalds. You’ll also want to leave the leaves on your plant, if possible. These leaves protect the tomatoes while they ripen, preventing intense sunlight from reaching them.
If you accidentally pruned too many leaves off, adding shade will cure cracked tomatoes by protecting the fruits from sunlight on hot days. Use shade cloth, an umbrella, a shade triangle, or whatever you have on hand. Don’t break the bank; try repurposing an old bedsheet or curtain into a shade cloth.
Protect from Rain
Rain protection differs from shade protection. You’ll want an object that’s waterproof to repel rainfall from your tomatoes. Greenhouse plastic and umbrellas work well, though any waterproof cover will do.
Protect tomatoes from rainfall if they already have sufficient moisture. If, however, they’re thirsty, you may let the rain wet the soil. Rainfall is only detrimental if it causes excessive moisture near the tomatoes’ roots.
Potted plants are easier to manage. Simply move them from their exposed site to a covered, protected one. Set them on a porch, patio, balcony, or carport.
Fertilize Hungry Plants
Occasionally, blossom end rot will cause more cracked tomatoes. It happens when tomato plants struggle to pull calcium into their fruits. Without calcium, the ends of the fruits turn black, brown, and wrinkly.
The end rot can spread as your tomatoes ripen. It’ll start at the bottom and work its way upwards. You’ll notice splits expanding as the skin ripens and changes color.
Before adding calcium, consider how often you’re watering the garden first. Calcium deficiencies are common where watering is infrequent. Tomatoes need moisture in the soil in order to pull up calcium with their roots. If you’re watering consistently and end rot still occurs, feed your crop with a calcium fertilizer and water it in well.
Cut Off the Cracks
If all else fails, harvest your cracked tomatoes and cut off their cracks! Don’t get discouraged. As gardeners, our failures make us into greater growers over time. We learn from each failure and apply what we know in the future.
Sometimes, an irregularly rainy or dry season causes splitting tomatoes. Other times, a sprinkler failure causes it. No matter the reasons, paying attention to how often and how much you water is the first step towards curing cracked tomatoes.
If tomato splitting is a recurring problem in your garden, consider growing crack-resistant varieties. Plant cherry tomatoes, or opt for a crack-resistant variety like ‘Cherokee Carbon.’
Key Takeaways
- Splitting fruit most often occurs because of watering inconsistencies. Water regularly, not infrequently, to prevent cracks from forming.
- Blossom end rot and sunscald are secondary conditions that may lead to splitting. Prevent them from discouraging cracking.
- Cracked fruits are still edible, so long as they’re not rotting or riddled with insects. Cut off the cracks and eat the rest.
