Why do tomatoes crack in the greenhouse and in the open field

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

Every tomato grower hopes for a rich and quality harvest. And when the fruits have already gained a good mass or even have already begun to ripen, cracks appear. Why do tomatoes crack on the vine? By understanding the cause, it will be possible to stop the appearance of new defects. Do not forget that cracks not only spoil the appearance of the fruit, but also serve as a hotbed for the penetration and spread of various infections.

So, why do tomatoes crack on the bushes? The first and main reason is the wrong agricultural technology. Excessive or insufficient watering leads to the fact that the plant tries to gain as much moisture as possible. Water enters the fruit, its active growth begins, the thin skin of the tomato cannot withstand the increased load and cracks. Therefore, tomatoes should be watered little by little and often. If there was a forced break in watering, you should not immediately give the plants water in excess. It is best to break the procedure into two stages - on the first day, slightly moisten the ground, and after a day, water the tomatoes well. In order to avoid sudden drying out, the soil around the plants must be mulched.

The next reason why tomatoes crack is due to the intensity of sunlight. Tomatoes that are exposed to sunlight for a long time can crack. Therefore, plants planted in the open field should be shaded a little on hot days, and the walls of the greenhouse can be covered with milk of lime or white material.

Another reason why tomatoes crack is an excess of fertilizer. Especially in this regard, nitrogen-containing mixtures or natural substances containing nitrogen, such as chicken manure, are dangerous. You do not need to completely abandon fertilizers, but you must strictly adhere to the recommended dosages.

Another reason why tomatoes crack can be a sudden change in temperature and humidity. If the plant grows outdoors and weather forecasters predict a sharp temperature drop, it may be worth picking tomatoes and letting them ripen in a box. Tomatoes in the greenhouse are not afraid of a sharp change in weather conditions, however, here it is best to maintain optimal conditions: humidity 50% and temperature not higher than 25 ° C.

Quite often, summer residents have a question: why do tomatoes crack for no apparent reason? It seems that the irrigation regime is optimal, and fertilizers were applied in the right proportions, and the weather is the most favorable, but cracks still appear on fruits of varying degrees of ripeness. In this case, most likely, the problem lies in the wrong variety. Some varieties of tomatoes are designed for a particular climatic region, and whengrowing this variety under other, even outwardly favorable conditions, problems may arise. And certain types of tomatoes are genetically predisposed to cracking because they have a very thin and delicate skin. As a rule, these types include lettuce and early, early ripening tomatoes.

Here are all the main reasons that can lead to cracked tomatoes. By applying the right agricultural practices and choosing the right tomato varieties, you can avoid this problem and get a great harvest.