What makes tomatoes split on the top

In addition to cracking and splitting, fluctuations in soil moisture level are the most common cause of blossom end rot.

This disorder occurs when there is not enough calcium available within developing fruit, causing the lower end of the fruit to turn tan or black. Other factors that can cause blossom end rot include extreme heat or cold, over fertilization, and low soil pH acid soil.

If you have tomatoes that have started to develop blossom end rot, remove them from the vine and compost them. They will not develop or ripen normally. There are several issues that can cause tomato leaves to curl, including wet weather. Leaf curling as a result of wet conditions is not a serious concern and will not damage plants or reduce yields.

Some varieties are more prone to leaf curling than others. When excessive moisture is the cause of leaf curling, leaves curl upward starting from the bottom of the plant first. Leaves that curl as a result of wet soil conditions may take on a leathery appearance, but otherwise remain green and healthy. The most important thing you can do to minimize fruit cracking, blossom end rot, and leaf curling in tomatoes is to maintain even soil moisture levels by watering during drought.

Most vegetables require around one inch of water per week to remain productive. Soaker hose and drip irrigation systems are the best way to provide this water to vegetable and ornamental plants because these systems apply water directly to the soil. This reduces water loss through evaporation and keeps plant leaves dry, which helps limit the spread of leaf diseases.

Mulching your vegetable garden will also help keep the soil evenly moist and minimize moisture related problems. Other tomato problems associated with rainy weather and wet soils include wilt diseases and leaf diseases such as early blight. Tomatoes split open when the fruit outpaces the growth of the skin — usually after a heavy rain. The bad news: split tomatoes can introduce bacteria into the fruit and cause them to rot.

Keeping them regularly watered reduces the chance they will be shocked by a hard rain. Mulch: Mulch does wonders for all plants, but especially for preventing cracking tomatoes.

Feed: Fertilize tomatoes with organic Tomato-tone every other week during the growing season. You can pick tomatoes as soon as they turn slightly pink. This change in color marks the breaker stage, when tomatoes have reached their full size. Because tomatoes will continue to ripen even off the vine at this point, you can pick them and keep them at room temperature ideally between 70 and 75 degrees F till you're ready to eat them.

That said, you can leave them on the vine to keep ripening, but picking them early can safeguard them from unexpected rainstorms. In short, most cracked tomatoes are safe to eat. But take into account the size and depth of the crack.

If the tomato split runs deep into the fruit, there's a chance insects, bacteria, or fungi have entered the tomato. This especially applies to cracks that run vertically from the stem down. Horizontal cracks, however, tend to be shallower and heal themselves more easily, which makes tomatoes with this kind of split more salvageable.

This goes without saying, but if you don't want the damaged skin visible, you can simply slice your tomatoes around the splits. Mary Claire Lagroue. By Mary Claire Lagroue April 14, Pin FB Share.