Why do the tops of my tomatoes split?

Question

is it from too much water or not enough?

I'm in Arizona - .. once a week watering won't work it's too hot!

Answer 1

I lived in Arizona for 18 years and had a garden. The sun and heat in AZ just cooks tomatoes. Try using a sun screen over your tomatoes. It lets 60-75% of the sun shine through but provides just enough shade so that your tomatoes stop spliting. You can buy sun shade at garden centers throughout AZ. Another option is to plant your tomatoes where they can get morning and mid-day sun, but the really hot afternoon sun is blocked. This might be along a fence or on the side of your house. We moved our garden to the east side of our house and never had a problem with split tomatoes again.

Mulch your tomatoes, it'll improve the moisture consistancy and keep the roots cooler.

And you do want to cut back your watering just a bit when your tomatoes are ripening. It'll improve their flavor. Don't cut back so much that they dry out. Try it. I was surprised by how much better the flavor can be.

Here is what the university of Illinois has to say about tomatoes craking: "Q. What can I do to prevent my tomatoes from cracking?

A. Cracking varies with the variety. Many of the newer varieties are resistant to cracking. Severe pruning increases cracking. Keep soil moisture uniform as the tomatoes develop and plant resistant varieties to minimize this problem."

Answer 2

Tomatoes split because of inconsistent watering. They get too much water, like from a downpour and then dry out and then you water them just a little. They need to be watered on a consistent schedule and amount. I have had backyard gardens for about 20 years.

Answer 3

That happens down here in the South all the time, because we tend to have really dry springs followed by really wet summers. The tomatoes start out conserving water, then they're flooded with it and absorb too much. To prevent it, we have to water a lot in the spring.

Answer 4

Too much water. Once your tomato sets fruit you only have to water once a week at most.