Why are my tomatoes rupturing?

[SixPapaCharlie]

I will try picking them earlier.
This is my 2nd year gardening.

Last year I learned:

• They are not kidding when they say "plant this seed 18-25 inches apart." I created a veggie jungle
• No more Zucchini. That plant got HUGE fast and blocked sun for a lot of other plants
• 1 seed can generate about 50 spaghetti squash and there are not enough recipes in the world to eat it all.
• Cubanelle peppers grow in any weather and can be pickled, stuffed and bacon wrapped, or caramelized. They were coming out of the ground faster than I could eat them but very versatile.
• Rosemary keeps mosquitoes away from my pool (the light had been bringing them in prior)
• Fresh Basil tastes WAY better than any herb I have ever bought from the store
• And I am probably the only person in Texas who can't grow a Jalapeno. I expected more from that plant.

 

[RV10flyer]

Add 1 tsp Epsom Salts to bottom of planting hole for tomatoes. Apply 1" water/week. That is about all I could find in my notes that was not already mentioned.

 

[JOhnH]

Thanks for that advice. I guess I usually leave them on the vine too long and that is when most of my problem occur.

Too much water once they are getting red. Pick them at the breaker stage..meaning when they turn pink. Once they turn pink they have all the size and flavor they will get and are considered vine ripe at that stage.

Also if they go from being to dry to lots of water they will split. We own a 6000sqft greenhouse and we do tomatoes ( over 800 plants going as we speak). We started picking in March and will have them through July. We have some of the same problems with bursting and my watering is all automated.

The attached picture is the perfect time to get them off the vine.

 

[JOhnH]

All those posts and no answers. Great ways to use them though. Nothing like a good fresh beefsteak tomato on a burger fresh off the grill.

I'd research it some more, but I believe your soil needs more CALCIUM to keep them from splitting before they ripen on the vine.

The answers (there can be no single answer without chemical and hydro & photo analysis) were repeated several times. I already mentioned calcium as a possible cause. But lack of calcium generally causes blossom end rot instead of splitting.