Too much water for tomatoes

[JimineyC]

First there was too much sun down here and I was draining my water butts dry feeding the tomatoes. Now we've loads of rain these last two weeks. I went out today and quite a few nearly ripe tomatoes are splitting - most likely from the drenching theyve received after a long dry spell. Not much I can do I suppose apart from pick the nearly ripe ones and bring them indoors to ripen?
Would covering the tops of the pots work to stop too much water getting in?

[FoxHillGardener]

I guess covering the pots is worth a try, so long as you remember to remove the covers when the sun comes back for a lovely warm September. Well, I can live in hope!

[Slug]

I had a similar problem last year, but it was later on in the summer. All my tomatoes were just starting to ripen when we had 3 weeks of solid rain. I came out one day to absolute carnage in the tomatoe bed.... there were 'exploded' tomatoes everywhere - it was like they'd not only split, but completely exploded out!

I rescued what I could, but the problem for me was that they were directly in the soil, so I couldn't get the water away from them. Eventually they just rotted and I had the worst tomato year ever. My advice....? Pick what you can now and if they're split etc... then just cook with them. Hopefully by covering them up while it's raining, that you've rescued some of the future toms.

Good luck...

[Silverfox]

Ha ha ha ha …….. Sorry I don't mean to laugh but I have just had this image of tomato plants with umbrella's sticking out the middle of the pots. At least if you did use an umbrella they will get a bit of shade when the sun comes out.

You're not the only one with this problem. Mine are doing the same, so I am picking when still a bit orange a leaving on a bowl by the back door to get the sun and heat in the day. There was also a report on this in the newspaper over the weekend. If OH hadn't had read it to me I would have been wondering what was going on with my suicide tomato's.

[Shortie]

Hee hee.... I have images of 'exploding tomatoes' going off in my head! Slug, are you finding tomatoes growing in really odd places now if the seeds were exploded out??

[pickledtink]

It's coming through the roots so unless you can stop the water in the ground forget it.
All is not lost. Are they ripe or semi or green?
If semi or green you have the greatest excuse in the world to indulge one of the most decadent gourmet taste experiences going.* delicate shudder*
Fried green tomato fritters.
It just doesn't work with red ones and the short season in the UK when this is possible means you never see them.
Recipe!
Slice em 1/4 inch thick
sprinkle with salt and leave to drain in fridge for at least 2 hours
Squeeze out
Beat one egg, 3 tablespoons of flour and roughly same volume of milk as egg in a bowl. bit of salt and pepper. Dredge the tom slices generously and hurl into a frying pan of hot fat. Bacon if you've got it. Anything if you havn't. Flip em over and cook both sides. Fork out and drain for a minute on some kitchen roll or not as you like.
Eat with eggs and bacon for breakfast or any way you want.
Gorgeous.
I'm a trained chef and this is heaven believe me. I do it sometimes as a starter on a mixed leaf with whatever dip /dressing I feel like.

[JimineyC]

We probably will cook with a few tonight. It's annoying as I've been working so much I haven't been able to get in the garden much at all recently. And I'm away next week - so I do want it to rain atleast some of the time to keep them watered.
We have a mix of ripe, nearly ripe and some of the deepest, greenest toms you could hope for. I've picked the split ones and we'll do some pasta thing tonight.
Thanks for the advice. This gardening lark does require some effort, but then this little fella I didn't plant and I haven't watered once, but he is doing as well as any of my other plants. It just sprang up near the back door - maybe we should just do nothing!

[Peat]

Sage Advice

If I'm erver in doubt over what to do in the garden I consult an ancient copy (1931) of Everyday Gardening by J Coutts (the J R Hartley of Gardening).

With regard to outdoor tomatoes Mr Coutts says "As soon as the blossom-buds appear cease watering .... water only to prevent a check in case of severe drought". Unfortunately, he says nothing of what to do if it rains! Personally I would try putting plasic sheeting (old compost bags) around the base to prevent too much water getting to the roots.

PS: I grew tomato 'Yellow Boy' for the first time this year and got some whopping fruits which are full of flavour, sweet and delicious! Give them a go.

[JazzDuke]

I have always believed that it is not the amount of water that causes them to split but the timing. I always water my toms at the same time every day. (Realise this doesn't help when you get excessive rain at the 'wrong' time of day.)

[mandyballantyne]

It's coming through the roots so unless you can stop the water in the ground forget it.
All is not lost. Are they ripe or semi or green?
If semi or green you have the greatest excuse in the world to indulge one of the most decadent gourmet taste experiences going.* delicate shudder*
Fried green tomato fritters.
It just doesn't work with red ones and the short season in the UK when this is possible means you never see them.
Recipe!
Slice em 1/4 inch thick
sprinkle with salt and leave to drain in fridge for at least 2 hours
Squeeze out
Beat one egg, 3 tablespoons of flour and roughly same volume of milk as egg in a bowl. bit of salt and pepper. Dredge the tom slices generously and hurl into a frying pan of hot fat. Bacon if you've got it. Anything if you havn't. Flip em over and cook both sides. Fork out and drain for a minute on some kitchen roll or not as you like.
Eat with eggs and bacon for breakfast or any way you want.
Gorgeous.
I'm a trained chef and this is heaven believe me. I do it sometimes as a starter on a mixed leaf with whatever dip /dressing I feel like.

Sounds great, will it work with courgettes too? I am running out of ideas for them!!

Mandy