Gardening Plant Problems

Why Tomatoes Split and Ways to Prevent It

Adjusting Watering Practices for a Healthy Tomato Harvest

splitting tomato on the vine

The Spruce / Adrienne Legault

It's not uncommon to see tomatoes splitting on the vine, which can happen at any stage—green or ripe. If you grow tomatoes, chances are you've watched your beautiful harvest ripen, only to look one morning to see that tomato you've been eyeing for your BLT suddenly split. How can you prevent tomatoes from breaking? And, most importantly, can you still eat the fruit?

Why Tomatoes Split

Tomatoes split due to fluctuations in the amount of water they receive. When tomatoes grow in drought conditions or have little supplemental water, heavy rain can cause the insides to grow faster than the outer skin, resulting in the tomatoes cracking.

Tomatoes may crack in two different manners: vertical splits, where radial cracking extends from the top of the fruit to the bottom, and concentric cracking, which often appears on the top of the fruit, forming cracks around the stem on large, heirloom beefsteak varieties.

While both forms of cracking may allow pests to enter the fruit or promote rot, concentric cracking is sometimes not severe. If the cracking doesn't expose the fruit's interior, you can allow it to remain on the vine to ripen, but keep an eye on it. Green (young) tomatoes that split are more likely to rot before maturity than tomatoes that split at an older growth stage.

why do tomatoes split

Illustration: Katie Kerpel © The Spruce, 2018

How to Prevent Tomatoes from Splitting

You can't always prevent tomato splitting; a downpour dumps several inches of rain on your garden in a few hours, which may result in split tomatoes no matter what you do. But you can make it less likely that your tomatoes will split by doing the following:

Tomatoes crack after receiving too much water following a dry spell. Keeping your plants consistently moist can help prevent splitting by minimizing the impact of a sudden rainstorm, as your plants won't suffer the shock of excessive water after ongoing dry conditions.

  • Water regularly and deeply: Tomatoes need about an inch of water per week, so water your tomato plants every two to three days during the summer. (Finger test: Stick your index finger an inch into the soil. If it's moist, there's no need to water. If it's dry, give water.) When you water, target the base of the plant and avoid splashing soil on the leaves to prevent the spread of soil-borne diseases like blight and septoria leaf spot. Water deeply or use drip irrigation.
  • Mulch: Provide your plants with a two- to three-inch layer of organic mulch, such as straw, pine needles, or shredded bark. Mulch helps maintain consistent soil moisture levels, and you'll deal with less splitting.
  • Look for resistant varieties. Check the plant's label or seed catalog for types that resist splitting. Many hybrid varieties offer disease resistance and high productivity and are less prone to split.
  • Pick tomatoes early. Your tomatoes are almost ripe, and you're expecting a significant rainstorm. Now is the perfect time to pick your tomatoes before they're overwhelmed by extra moisture. Tomatoes that have begun to change color will ripen on or off the vine, so harvest them before a storm and place them on a windowsill to complete the ripening process. (A side benefit for early harvest: less chance of pests eating your fruit.)
  • Provide good drainage. Planting your tomatoes in raised beds or containers with drainage holes offers the best drainage for your plants if they experience a deluge. Both raised beds and containers drain well—make sure to use good, loose soil that doesn't compact. Because nutrients leech out of containers as the water drains, feed them with an organic fertilizer according to the directions on the label.
closeup of a tomato split
​The Spruce / Adrienne Legault

What to Do if Your Tomatoes Split

If your tomatoes split, it's important to harvest them as quickly as possible. Split tomatoes are much more susceptible to rot and insect damage.

While you may be unable to avoid splitting completely, don't worry—you can still eat the tomatoes. Inspect them carefully for any signs of insects or rot, and toss any fruit that smells sours or oozes. Then, create your favorite dish with your garden treats! They won't store long, so eat or cook with them immediately to enjoy your garden efforts.

harvesting split tomatoes
​The Spruce / Adrienne Legault
FAQ
  • What causes tomatoes to rot on the bottom?

    Blossom-end rot is the name of the condition when the blossom end, or bottom, turns brown, black, or leathery. A calcium deficiency in the tomato causes it. It's most often the result of inconsistent soil moisture.

  • Do cracks in tomatoes mean I am overwatering?

    Tomatoes cracks often indicate inconsistent watering—usually too much or insufficient. Other conditions like soggy soil, a calcium deficiency, over-ripening, and too much sun can also cause cracks.

  • What can sun scald do to tomatoes?

    Sunscald can cause whitish or pale gray blotches on unripe or ripening tomatoes. It blisters like sunburn and, if still on the vine, continues to grow, often causing splits in the tomato and leading to premature rot.

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  1. What Causes Tomatoes to Crack. North Carolina Cooperative Extension