Home-grown tomatoes are one of the finest joys of summer, and one of the biggest disappointments is when you discover your precious tomatoes have split.
The good news is that just because your tomatoes have cracked, it doesn’t mean you can’t still enjoy them.
In fact, I’ve savoured many a fine tomato sandwich that began with a ripe beefsteak tomato with a few superficial cracks in its skin.
But splits can lead to rot, at which point that tomato is done for.
Why do tomatoes split?
So, how do you stop tomatoes from splitting? Some varieties are simply more prone to it, but according to the Missouri Botanical Garden, other potential culprits include overfertilising, sudden changes in temperature, too little foliage to shelter the fruit and extreme fluctuations in soil moisture.
When it comes to preventing the last problem on that list, I finally cracked the code thanks to some advice from garden editor Christopher Michel.
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The best way to water tomatoes
“The goal when watering tomatoes is to keep the soil consistently moist. If the plant spends too many days dry then gets a deluge of water, the fruit will develop dry patches on its skin, which then split when it attempts to grow,” Christopher says.
To prevent the issue, he recommends watering tomatoes “when the top 2.5cm of soil feels dry and crumbly.”
And instead of watering from above, which can leave the leaves and stems wet and invite fungal disease, he explains that the best way to water tomatoes is close to the ground, directly into the soil around the base of the plant.
He says: "Water deeply, so the water penetrates to the roots, and water regularly. If you can, try to water early in the morning. This will help keep most of the water in the soil, instead of evaporating.”
Another tip for maintaining consistent soil moisture? If you guessed mulch, you’re spot on.
For more information on how to water tomato plants correctly and avoid common mistakes that can ruin your harvest, check out our full guide.
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Terri Robertson has been an editor and storyteller for more than 20 years. As Deputy Digital Editor at Country Living, she curates daily newsletters and has found a niche writing about odd corners of the internet and people embracing American life off the beaten path. She’s passionate about gardening and nature, writing about everything from super monarchs to supermoons. She also contributes to Country Living’s entertainment coverage, including HGTV stars, popular TV shows, and music. Terri began her career proofreading Southern Living cookbooks—a first job befitting an English major with a childhood penchant for reading her mom’s cookbooks—and went on to edit many food, garden, and lifestyle titles. She later worked for the University of Alabama’s marketing and communications division, capturing the stories of students and faculty. Returning to lifestyle media in 2017, she covered local arts, culture, and business news in Birmingham, Alabama, for Bham Now and later served as digital media manager for Flower magazine, a luxury home, garden, and lifestyle publication, before finding her home at Country Living. She and her husband live with their four cats in Birmingham.
