Care problem

Fruit cracking

Ripening tomatoes, melons and other fruit split open when heavy rain or watering follows a dry spell.

What you'll see

• Cracks running out from the stem end, or in rings around it, on ripening fruit.
• Splits that appear after a downpour or a big watering following dry weather.
• Cracks that heal into corky scars, or let in rot and gray mold.

Why it happens

When soil moisture swings, fruit takes up water fast and its maturing skin can't stretch enough. Large beefsteak tomatoes and many melons are especially prone.

How to fix it

1. Pick cracked fruit promptly and use it soon, before rot gets in.
2. Water deeply on a regular schedule, so the soil never swings from dry to soaked.
3. When heavy rain is forecast, pick fruit at first color and let it ripen indoors.

Keep it from coming back

• Mulch around plants to keep soil moisture even.
• Avoid planting in poorly drained spots.
• If splitting happens every year, try varieties less prone to cracking.

Sources

• RHS: Tomatoes: fruit splitting and cracking
• University of Maryland Extension: Cracking of vegetables

General guidance, not a diagnosis. For valuable, edible or outdoor crops, check with a local extension service or plant expert. Use any product exactly as its label says, and keep children and pets away while it dries.