| Why do the tops of my tomato plants crack and split? It is happening to both my Big Boys and my grape tomatoes. |
| Tomatoes will grow rapidly during a hot dry spell followed by heavy rainfall or heavy watering. It can also happen during wet, warm periods. Unfortunately, these conditions almost force the tomatoes to grow right out of their skins! When they can't stretch any more, they split. This is most annoying as you have found. If the cracks are shallow they will heal over. The fruits certianly are edible - they just look bad! If the splits are deep enough they can be susceptible to decay organisms. If you keep soil evenly moist with frequent watering and mulch, this will reduce the problem. Try tomato varieties that are crack tolerant or resistant, such as 'Burpee Big Girl', 'Celebrity', 'Husky Gold'. 'Sweet Million' has better crack resistance than many other cherry tomatoes. Enjoy! |
