Tomatoes

[Alistair Macdonald]

Ailsa Craig and location Kent England. I have a couple of dozen plants in an outside plot and they are doing very well. An overflow I planted in a dozen large clay pots. Almost every fruit is suffering from a split skin. I am obviously doing something wrong. What is it? Alistair

[Frank]

Might be over watering.

[Phisherman]

Uneven watering.

[John McGaw]

Uneven soil moisture is the reason I've always read too. Clay pots would only exacerbate the problem -- they are great for cacti and other succulent plants which want to dry out completely between waterings but this would be the worst possible thing with tomatoes.

[Chris]

I have read that an abundance of sun combined with heavy watering will do that.

Chris

[Zootal]

A good rain in the middle of summer does it also if the plants aren't used to that much water. In the case of the OP, a heavier then usual watering is all it takes.

[kzin]

Hello,

I want to do exactly this next summer for the same reasons. Do you have a soil recipe you like for this? Watering recommendations?

thanks in advance ml

[Alistair Macdonald]

Thanks all. I am much more knowledgeable now than I was before I started this thread. In fact I feel I could write a book on the subject, if copyright is not registered!