A Gardeners Forum Forums Gardening Reference Gardening in 2006 Splitting tomatoes

i know that too much water can split tomatoes, but if the cause is rain is there anything else i can do to try to prevent it? any nutrients make them less suseptible to cracking? or should i just pick them about 1/2 ripe and let them ripen indoors?

It's not so much too much water as too little followed by a really good watering. The best way is to only water when the plants need it and give them a really deep soaking. It may be a week apart. Frequent, shallow watering, encourages root systems to remain near the surface, where they dry out more easily and don't penetrate deeply into the soil. If the roots run deep then moisture is available to them all the time so when it rains they don't get a big change in their moisture levels. Mulching also helps. Well, that's as i understand it. I don't think there are any other factors involved really.

PA, some varieties are more prone to cracking than others. It's not unheard of to pick them when they are close to being ripe if there is impending heavy rain or T-storms.

I have done the same thing as Longy mentioned...
and really haven't watered my tomatoes except
for when I initially planted them...
*and we have had our fair share of rain on and off, but I haven't watered them since except for rain, and my plants are looking good...

I haven't gotten any tom's ready to pick yet,
but I will let you know on how it works for me this year...

I have to say, IMHO, of growing tomatoes,
alot is to watch your plants/fruits, know your soil and your own water amounts, watch the weather reports ~constantly~ and
pick them accordingly...
I don't think there's any nutrient you can add to the soil to help prevent that stuff....

And like John said, maybe if your weather forcast calls for scattered showers all week
*Like we've gotten here all week so far*
and you have on'es that are close, and the color is close to pickin', pick them..
*also alot has to do with how an individual uses them.. if they pick one at at time for eating, or if they need alot for canning or such*