The sight of cracked tomatoes breaks the heart of many a home gardener. All this effort, months of care from seed, watering and fertilization can easily go to waste. Tomatoes damaged in this way raise doubts in us. Can they be eaten or not? And how to avoid cracking? We explain everything.
Why do tomatoes crack?
The most common cause of tomato cracking is uneven watering. When we dry them out a bit and then add a lot of water to make up for the lack (or there is heavy rainfall), the soil moisture changes. Then the tomatoes take in all that water to store it “for spare”. This causes them to swell and their skin can crack. Tomatoes also crack for a few other reasons. These can include:
- too few leaves,
- too intensive nitrogen fertilization (increases plant fragility),
- potassium deficiency,
- inappropriate tomato species (if we know that it is difficult to maintain regular soil moisture and meet the above conditions, let’s choose more resistant varieties, e.g. Jawor, Koralik, Rumba Ożarowska or Koneser F1).
How to prevent tomatoes from cracking? The most important thing is regular watering. Make sure that the soil does not dry out. However, if this happens, do not pour whole litres of water into it at once. Water the plants gradually over a few days to gently increase the humidity. Also, make sure to remove leaves and fertilize them properly.
Why do tomatoes crack? photo shutterstock / Kyliki
Are cracked tomatoes edible?
When we see cracked tomatoes on our bushes, our first thought is: “Has all my work really been wasted and now I have to throw them away?” Fortunately, this is not necessary. However, it is worth taking a closer look at the vegetables and checking if they have not started to spoil. Those with superficial damage heal easily and do not rot or mold so quickly. It is different when the crack is deep. In such a case, the tomato should be eaten as soon as possible, carefully checking if everything is OK with it. If you’d like, please vote in our poll below.
How long can you store frozen products? Kobieta.gazeta.pl
Source: Gazeta
Bruce is a talented author and journalist with a passion for entertainment . He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the industry.
