happens every year, rain and cracking

[rxkeith]

i need to do something different.

every year, it seems, i wait all summer for those big juicy tomatoes to ripen, and just
when they do, september rolls around, the yooper monsoon season begins, and everything starts cracking. i either need to start some seeds earlier and set out bigger plants or start picking tomatoes at the breaker stage if thats when they start to show color, or get that greenhouse i keep thinking about.

today, i was out in the garden digging potatoes, the wind was blowing, and the chickens
quietly strolled into the garden, and started in on a wes tomato that was about ripe.
my back was turned, so didn't realize they were in there until one of them clucked, "yeah, this one is good."
BAAAAHHHHH!!!!!! stupid chickens.

sigh,



keith

[Labradors2]

Smart chickens . The only thing to do is to pick at first blush whenever rain is in the forecast.

Linda

[Worth1]

Originally Posted by Labradors2

Smart chickens . The only thing to do is to pick at first blush whenever rain is in the forecast.

Linda

I agree totally.

[slugworth]

I know a guy that uses rubber mats for mulch that block the water out,just the base of the plants are exposed.

[SQWIBB]

Find a variety that is better suited for your growing area. I had to give up on a lot of heirlooms and planted a few hybrids this year. Last year almost every tomato split the entire season.
This year not one split until end of July, early August, IIRC.
I did have a few weeks where they were splitting (mostly radial cracking,)
I do pick mine before completely ripe most of the time.

[SueCT]

I can't count how many people and how many times it has been said here the solution is to pick at first blush or soon thereafter. When are you actually going to try it?

[SQWIBB]

Originally Posted by SueCT

I can't count how many people and how many times it has been said here the solution is to pick at first blush or soon thereafter. When are you actually going to try it?

Whoa hold on there skippy, lol
I feel your frustration.
He did mention picking them earlier, but some folks have a mindset that if it's not vine ripened, then it's not as good, and you will never convince them otherwise. A little science tells us differently.

[Worth1]

A bird in the hand beats two in the bush.

[Worth1]

Even a tomato not blushing will get ripe on the counter.
I have seen baby orange Russians get ripe like this.

[SQWIBB]

@OP,

Also some folks use cracking or splitting interchangeably, There are 2 types of cracking, one is radial and the other is a concentric cracking around the stem, heirlooms are prone to this.
Splitting to me is when the fruit splits in the middle or side, like down the length of the tomato. The cracking is always at the top around the stem, that's my unscientific opinion.



Not only can water be an issue, but also extreme temperature fluctuations, heavy pruning can also add to cracking problems, some times there s just no quick fix and my advice (if you are already following steps to reduce cracking like even watering and picking the fruit earlier) I would look into varieties better suited for your growing area.


If you are set on heirloom varieties you will almost always have to deal with some Radial cracking if you are in a climate like mine.

I'll get flack for this but there's a lot of tomato snobs that say a hybrid will never taste as good as a heirloom, I call BS on this.


My strategy has been switching to Hybrids as a main crop with a few Heirlooms, I change the Heirlooms every year to see which performs best in my garden. This year the Kosova did well but the plant was the first one that stopped producing and got pulled, next year it will be Amish Paste and Abe Lincoln (again). My Hybrid that I was pleased with was Big Beef and not so much the Beefmaster due to a some megablooms (fasciated blossoms) I guess its a genetic trait, would be nice if I wanted to pick a green and red tomato at the same time. lol.

[SQWIBB]

Originally Posted by Worth1

A bird in the hand beats two in the bush.

Wow that's the first time I heard that where it actually applies!

[brownrexx]

I do the same thing with hybrids as my main crop so that I can be sure to get early tomatoes and plenty of tomatoes for my sauces and freezing. Heirlooms for fresh eating.

I have been picking all of my tomatoes at first blush this year but I noticed that many of the heirlooms still have deep cracks radiating out from the stem. Cherokee Purple does not seem to be cracking but the Brandywines are almost all cracked. Still have good taste though.

[Labradors2]

Sungold is a hybrid that splits and it's one that needs to be vine-ripened (IMO).

I cannot grow Brandywine because it takes so long to ripen, that we get cooler, wetter weather by then and they inevitably crack and rot. I find that Little Lucky is a great replacement .

Linda

[rxkeith]

what can i say,

i am a creature of habit. i know very well that tomatoes will ripen just fine inside when
picked early. i've done it in the past, and i have been doing it with my anna russian cross
to make sure i get seeds from each plant before something else outside gets the tomato first. i just need to be more proactive is all, and start picking earlier.
with the amount of rain we have had in spurts, there are tomatoes out there that are splitting at first blush stage. just too much water. its been windy too. plants have been knocked around a bit.
one anna russian plum split down the sides picked just blushing. some of the little oxheart tomatoes have splits in the middle.
temps are in the 60s range mostly, dipping into the 50s at night, sometimes high 40s.

its all good.



keith

[Labradors2]

What a pain Keith! It definitely sounds as if you need to concentrate on growing varieties that ripen early or early-mid so that you can enjoy a good harvest before the weather cracks up, cools down and ruins your 'maters.

Anna Russian is quite early for a heart, so I hope that the cross you are working on will do well for you .

Linda