Why are my tomatoes ripening when they're too small and splitting?

Question

I planted two tiny 2" tall tomato plants this year for the first time. The plants have grown to over 6 feet tall now with literally a few hundred tomatoes. I've already picked about 50, but most were too small to do anything with, and some split before I picked them. The problem is that the tomatoes ripen when they are too small and many are spliting. What did I do wrong? The plants themselves are so big I can't tie them or control them anymore.

How can I make the tomatoes grow bigger before they ripen?

Would cutting the plant so it's smaller / has less tomatoes to feed work?

Answer 1

They are getting too much water. That's why they are splitting. I don't quite know where you live, but this is almost the end of the growing season for them, in most parts of the country & the light source is failing them. The plant wanting to die is most likely causing some of the stress. You MUST tie them up better & use a really sturdy trellis or use a couple of stakes in the ground & use sturdy line to give the tomatoes some more support. Then I would suggest using a rose food, granular in nature, very low amount say 8-8-8 & also get some bone meal at the same time. Use the bone meal 1/2 cup per plant & mix it with one half cup of the fertilizer. Spread it some 6 inches from the base of the tomato plants, in a thin layer all the way out to about 2 feet from the plants. That will allow the plants to take in the food. Water in the mixture & feed them again in about two weeks. Your poor tomatoes don't have enough skin structure to hold in the water. Hold back on watering them if you can. If you are getting a lot of rain, don't water them at all...You can also get a bit of black fabric screening if you like & give them some shade by using stakes a bit taller than the plants & spreading the fabric screening over the top of them. It may be that they are receiving too much sun which is throwing the plant into overdrive. If you've succumbed to Miracle Grow, leave off of it & just use some bone meal to feed the plants. Hopefully this will work. Cutting the plants back may kill them at this point. Smaller ripe ones, even split ones are just fine in sauce, salsas & to use to sun dry or dehydrate. All in all, don't lose hope, but chalk it up to experience that at least you've survived growing tomatoes this year.

Answer 2

sounds like your plants may have sufered from not enough rain during the growing season and when the tomatoes starts to ripen then they got plenty of rain causing the tomatoes to start a second growth and split after they started to ripen. you do not need to cut back on the plant size just make sure it gets plenty of lime and fertlizer. The lime will prevent blossom end rot and the fertlizer makes it grow. also the plant has to get the calcum out of the lime so it can utilize the nutritents in the fertlizer. Hope this helps you if it dosen't you can call me and i'll tell you anything you need to know about veggie gardening. also if you want all around good tomatoes try the better boy varity.

Answer 3

the splits that you are getting are due to the fact thy have been short of water at some stage of them growing this will also affect there size do yon know the variety of the tomato's that you have ma by thy are a small type

Answer 4

Test your soil ( You should be able to do this at any gardener store or they can tell you where to have this done).
The soil might not have enough nutrients and or the tomatoes might not be getting enough water or light.

Answer 5

you're meant to resign feeding them whilst they start to set fruit. The plant is putting all that is means into transforming into tall and leafy quite of the fruit via miracle improve.