Kitchen Garden Forum

I treat all my tomatoes the same with water & feed but find my beefsteaks are splitting at the stem end. I think some have had a snail nibble when smaller so as they grow split along this injury, but some have no signs of snail damage and seem to be splitting along the curves in fruit.

Do beefsteaks need a different feed/water regime?

Hi Westi,

I have the same problem - also with the tigerella's. Mine are outside. I think it's due to the amount of rain in the last couple of weeks. As the rain doesn't look set to stop I'm taking them off the plant as soon as there is a hint of colour and ripening them off in the kitchen window.

The supurbs are fine though.

Pawty

Hi Pawty!

My beefsteaks are in the greenhouse with the orange plums which don't split, but I have the yellow & the heart shaped red outside the greenhouse which I harvested some off tonight & both split so agree with the weather - but none of the toms on lottie are even ready so suspecting the heat of the glass in & just outside is contributing.

I've just had a look at the beefsteaks Double Rich and Wladek and one has a split and one has slug damage but most of them are ok. They all get the same treatment. It looks as though the ripest one has split so I would put it down to watering and not picking it early enough.

My watering regime is constant, daily when little then alternate days when bigger, with the weekly feed on Saturday. I think it is the super hot weather earlier then the sudden drop in temp caused by all this rain, stressed them to grow too quick & split. My lottie ones do not get pampered as much, so they had not fruited and so not affected by the hot weather except to root deeper to find moisture.

Just a thought, kind of makes sense to me but I'm no tomato expert which is why I'm trying to be diligent with the water & feed regime.

I think it is the weather, the sudden heavy down pours is too much all at once for out door tomatoes. My cherry ones are splitting, but great for using for soups etc.
Beryl.

Nothing being wasted I hasten to add! I can see another freezer dilemma coming on if they don't stop ripening en masse!