Grape Tomatoes Splitting Before They Are Ripe

Joyce Wis

A: Joyce,

There are two basic types of splitting: concentric and radial. The type you're describing (cracking before the fruit is ripe) is usually radial splitting. The cracks start at the stem scar and split out toward the blossom end of the fruit. Radial splitting is most often an indication of uneven irrigation-usually from over watering or excessive amounts of rain. Crops that receive large amounts of water infrequently are prone to cracking. Other causes include fluctuations in growth rates (sudden periods of rapid growth causes splitting), fruits being subjected to temperature fluctuations (usually caused by plants being de-leafed too early and the resulting sun-over exposure), or when plants become overly succulent due to excessive nitrogen in combination with a lack of potassium.

Controls include properly balancing soil nutrients to avoid over succulent fruits, proper pruning and leaf removal and proper water management.

About The Author:
Ellen Brown is our Green Living and Gardening Expert. Click here to ask Ellen a question! Ellen Brown is an environmental writer and photographer and the owner of Sustainable Media, an environmental media company that specializes in helping businesses and organizations promote eco-friendly products and services. Contact her on the web at http://www.sustainable-media.com

Feedback About This Post:

RE: Grape Tomatoes Splitting Before They Are Ripe

The problem is most likely caused by irregular watering. A dry spell followed by a lot of rain can cause tomato cracking, or if you let the plants dry out quite a bit and then water them. I had this problem recently. The weather had been rather dry for a week or two, and then thundershowers occurred daily or more for a whole week. The cherry tomatoes developed lots of cracks.

Post By P. (Guest Post)

Disclaimer: ThriftyFun.com cannot accept any responsibility for any injury or damage that you may cause to yourself, others, or property when following any advice given on this site. Read the full disclaimer: http://www.thriftyfun.comdisclaimer.ldml If you find any information on ThriftyFun.com or in our newsletters that is either erroneous and/or potentially harmful to others, please Contact Us, immediately.