Deep splits in flesh of tomatoes

IowaG · 08-02-2009, 09:59 AM

Searched the forum but couldn't find this issue. All 5 varieties of tomato plants I have growing are producing tomatoes (still green) with deep splits that are prone to insects and rot. The splitting is often near the stem but not always.

I'm attaching a photo from last year showing a relatively minor case. Sometimes the splits are much longer. Causes and prevention?

(So far this forum has been so helpful! Hopefully sometime I can answer questions and not just ask them

)

JimB · 08-02-2009, 03:05 PM

Think of them as stretch marks. They're caused by a sudden burst in growth. The skin can't keep up and splits. There are a number of things that can be done to reduce or eliminate them. The easiest is to change to a resistant variety. Some types of tomatoes are a lot more susceptible than others. Don't over water and don't over fertilize. If it makes you feel better the cracks usually heal and the tomato tastes fine and is perfectly edible. They're just ugly. I'll take an ugly home grown tomato over a pretty supermarket tomato any day.

garden kid · 08-04-2009, 08:35 AM

It's called cat-facing. The water supply for your tomatoes had probably fluctuated too much. I have that problem around this time of the summer. I have my tomatoes on a regular watering regimen. But, some afternoons we'll get extra rain and the tomatoes drink more than they're used to. Because of that, the skin can't stretch fast enough to contain the increased water supply. A frustrating problem but it doesn't affect the taste, at least not to me. Try to regulate the water, and your problem should clear up. Oh, if the tomato already has cat-facing and is not ripe, regulating the water supply will not clear it up. This only prevents the problem for later tomatoes. Good luck.

JimB · 08-04-2009, 02:42 PM

Sorry GK. This is not catfacing. That's something different altogether. Catfacing is the result of incomplete pollination of the flower and causes malformed tomatoes, not splitting. The reason is most often cold weather.

carolyn137 · 08-05-2009, 12:03 PM

What your picture shows is called radial splitting.

There are three kinds of splitting.

Concentric splitting occurs as circles around the stem and they heal over and scar and aren't a problem unless they reopen and can be infected by normal fungi and bacteria in the environment. Concentric splitting is often associated with specific varieties, is partly genetically controlled and has nothing to do with too much water other than that often reopening up those scarred shut splits/

Radial Splitting is about the same as I've said above; genetically associated, cracks can heal, well, just as I said above.

Horizontal Splitting is when there's splits elsewhere on the fruits and those are due to too much moisture, as in rain, or overirrigation. When the fruit is at its maximum size, and it need not be ripe, the epidermis can nolonger expand to accomodate xs water so the fruit splits. Any variety can split, hybrids and OP's alike;no genetic association at all.

dcarch · 08-05-2009, 02:18 PM

Originally posted by JimB:

Sorry GK. This is not catfacing. That's something different altogether. Catfacing is the result of incomplete pollination of the flower and causes malformed tomatoes, not splitting. The reason is most often cold weather.

This a cat face?

dcarch

garden kid · 08-05-2009, 03:19 PM

OMG Dcarch, that's hilarious. Thanks for catching my mistake. Sorry Iowa, I posted wrong info.

IowaG · 08-06-2009, 12:52 PM

Thanks, everyone. We have had a lot of rain so that might be the problem. There are big splits on various parts of the tomatoes this year, worse than last year. Unfortunately, they tend to rot rather than heal. Splits are on all 5 varieties.

Dreyadin · 08-06-2009, 07:34 PM

That picture is HILARIOUS!!!!

elmtree3 · 08-06-2009, 10:44 PM

Dcarch, will you be offering seed for this peculiar variety this year? If so, I'm in!!!

JimB · 08-07-2009, 10:12 PM

Dcarch, That's some funny stuff. I got a good laugh out of it. Thanks.

taffy341 · 07-01-2012, 02:47 PM

We all need to remember a good laugh.... check out Dcarch's "cat face" picture.

homesteph · 07-08-2012, 11:23 PM

LOVE the cat face! And good to know about the splitting. I have Black Krims and most of them have radial splits at the stems, and some have concentric scars too. It is so hot here that they reach the brink of dehydrated death almost daily, so I'm sure uneven watering could be the factor. Fortunately the splits are healing instead of rotting, and the tomatoes taste amazing. The other tomato I have is Mexico Midget, perfect tiny pea-size berries, maybe too tiny to have problems.

taffy341 · 07-09-2012, 12:22 AM

homesteph I have Black Krims also and really like the flavor. My Black Krim is in it's second summer because I pruned it and covered it during the Houston winter.

Read that in England, some gardeners in their green houses, prune the bottom branches so the tomatoes grow like a tree and trim the tops during the winter seasons. It read that since the tomato is a fruit they treated the tomato like a fruit tree.

I'm going to see if the Black Krim will live a third summer.

Apology: this is not thread's subject.

feldon30 · 07-09-2012, 01:23 PM

Originally posted by IowaG:

Thanks, everyone. We have had a lot of rain so that might be the problem. There are big splits on various parts of the tomatoes this year, worse than last year. Unfortunately, they tend to rot rather than heal. Splits are on all 5 varieties.

If you are about to get a big rainstorm, I'd pick them as early as you can, with just a blush on the bottom. "Vine ripened" is a marketing myth.

08-02-2009, 09:59 AM	#1
IowaG Junior Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Iowa zone 5a Posts: 9	Deep splits in flesh of tomatoes Searched the forum but couldn't find this issue. All 5 varieties of tomato plants I have growing are producing tomatoes (still green) with deep splits that are prone to insects and rot. The splitting is often near the stem but not always. I'm attaching a photo from last year showing a relatively minor case. Sometimes the splits are much longer. Causes and prevention? (So far this forum has been so helpful! Hopefully sometime I can answer questions and not just ask them ) Attached Thumbnails

08-05-2009, 12:03 PM	#5
carolyn137 Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Upstate NY, zone 4b/5a Posts: 606	What your picture shows is called radial splitting. There are three kinds of splitting. Concentric splitting occurs as circles around the stem and they heal over and scar and aren't a problem unless they reopen and can be infected by normal fungi and bacteria in the environment. Concentric splitting is often associated with specific varieties, is partly genetically controlled and has nothing to do with too much water other than that often reopening up those scarred shut splits/ Radial Splitting is about the same as I've said above; genetically associated, cracks can heal, well, just as I said above. Horizontal Splitting is when there's splits elsewhere on the fruits and those are due to too much moisture, as in rain, or overirrigation. When the fruit is at its maximum size, and it need not be ripe, the epidermis can nolonger expand to accomodate xs water so the fruit splits. Any variety can split, hybrids and OP's alike;no genetic association at all. __________________ Carolyn

07-01-2012, 02:47 PM	#12
taffy341 Member Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Houston, Texas Posts: 46	"Cat Faceing" picture too funny to forget! We all need to remember a good laugh.... check out Dcarch's "cat face" picture.

07-09-2012, 12:22 AM	#14
taffy341 Member Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Houston, Texas Posts: 46	homesteph I have Black Krims also and really like the flavor. My Black Krim is in it's second summer because I pruned it and covered it during the Houston winter. Read that in England, some gardeners in their green houses, prune the bottom branches so the tomatoes grow like a tree and trim the tops during the winter seasons. It read that since the tomato is a fruit they treated the tomato like a fruit tree. I'm going to see if the Black Krim will live a third summer. Apology: this is not thread's subject. Last edited by taffy341; 07-09-2012 at 12:25 AM. Reason: not subject of thread apology

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08-02-2009, 03:05 PM	#2
JimB Junior Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Zone 6a Long Island NY Posts: 25	Think of them as stretch marks. They're caused by a sudden burst in growth. The skin can't keep up and splits. There are a number of things that can be done to reduce or eliminate them. The easiest is to change to a resistant variety. Some types of tomatoes are a lot more susceptible than others. Don't over water and don't over fertilize. If it makes you feel better the cracks usually heal and the tomato tastes fine and is perfectly edible. They're just ugly. I'll take an ugly home grown tomato over a pretty supermarket tomato any day.

08-04-2009, 08:35 AM	#3
garden kid Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: zone 8 Posts: 120	It's called cat-facing. The water supply for your tomatoes had probably fluctuated too much. I have that problem around this time of the summer. I have my tomatoes on a regular watering regimen. But, some afternoons we'll get extra rain and the tomatoes drink more than they're used to. Because of that, the skin can't stretch fast enough to contain the increased water supply. A frustrating problem but it doesn't affect the taste, at least not to me. Try to regulate the water, and your problem should clear up. Oh, if the tomato already has cat-facing and is not ripe, regulating the water supply will not clear it up. This only prevents the problem for later tomatoes. Good luck.

08-04-2009, 02:42 PM	#4
JimB Junior Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Zone 6a Long Island NY Posts: 25	Sorry GK. This is not catfacing. That's something different altogether. Catfacing is the result of incomplete pollination of the flower and causes malformed tomatoes, not splitting. The reason is most often cold weather.

08-05-2009, 03:19 PM	#7
garden kid Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: zone 8 Posts: 120	OMG Dcarch, that's hilarious. Thanks for catching my mistake. Sorry Iowa, I posted wrong info.

08-06-2009, 12:52 PM	#8
IowaG Junior Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Iowa zone 5a Posts: 9	Thanks, everyone. We have had a lot of rain so that might be the problem. There are big splits on various parts of the tomatoes this year, worse than last year. Unfortunately, they tend to rot rather than heal. Splits are on all 5 varieties.

08-06-2009, 07:34 PM	#9
Dreyadin Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: IL Posts: 539	That picture is HILARIOUS!!!!

08-06-2009, 10:44 PM	#10
elmtree3 WI EL J Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Calumet County WI zone 5a Posts: 232	Dcarch, will you be offering seed for this peculiar variety this year? If so, I'm in!!!

08-07-2009, 10:12 PM	#11
JimB Junior Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Zone 6a Long Island NY Posts: 25	Dcarch, That's some funny stuff. I got a good laugh out of it. Thanks.

07-08-2012, 11:23 PM	#13
homesteph Junior Member Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Calif. toehills, zone 9 Posts: 17	LOVE the cat face! And good to know about the splitting. I have Black Krims and most of them have radial splits at the stems, and some have concentric scars too. It is so hot here that they reach the brink of dehydrated death almost daily, so I'm sure uneven watering could be the factor. Fortunately the splits are healing instead of rotting, and the tomatoes taste amazing. The other tomato I have is Mexico Midget, perfect tiny pea-size berries, maybe too tiny to have problems.