How To Water Your Tomato Plants So The Fruit Doesn't Split

There's a certain joy when it comes to growing your own foods — the farm-to-table method. Everyone might not have the capacity to maintain a full-on homestead, but if keeping a tiny mint plant alive for those refreshing mojitos excites you, just imagine the thrill of growing peppers from tiny seeds or tomatoes from itty bitty sprouts. Tomato plants, while fun to grow, can be fickle, and you might find the fruits splitting and cracking into rot before you're able to harvest them for a red sauce (although you could still use the tomato leaves in the sauce).

One of the best ways to prevent splitting in tomatoes is to water them deeply and on a consistent schedule. Try to avoid conditions where the plant goes from very dry soil to very wet soil and instead find a middle ground where the soil is steadily moist. If you live in a warmer environment, you'll probably need to water the plants more often, but the easiest way to tell if the soil needs water is to stick your finger in the dirt to see if it comes away dry. Don't dump water on the leaves of the plant, just focus on wetting the roots and soil; otherwise, you risk spreading disease. It's also beneficial to water your tomatoes in the early morning before the sun rises to give the plant time to absorb the moisture before too much evaporates.

When tomatoes split or crack, the issue is a physiological problem, meaning it has little to do with pests and more to do with the conditions in which the plant grows. With fluctuating soil moisture levels, the inside and outside of the fruit will grow at asynchronous rates, leading to cracks and splits that are irreparable. It's easier to control the amount of water a tomato plant receives when it's grown in a pot or smaller container, and while some of the tomatoes may split anyway, it doesn't mean the whole fruit has gone to waste. You can pluck that freshly splitting tomato off the vine and allow it to finish ripening inside, but if you notice an unusual smell or spot pests lingering in the fissure, it's time to toss the tomato into the compost bin.

An easy method to assist with retaining soil moisture is to use mulch around the base of your tomato plants. A layer of about two or three inches will work perfectly to keep the roots cool, moist, and reduce the risk of disease. Mulch can come in many varieties, from shredded bark to grass clippings to straw to pine needles, any of which will help prevent splitting in your tomatoes. For the healthiest tomatoes, you can also try planting marigolds in the same bed to eliminate lingering pests.