My tomatoes are cracking

[MaryMary]

Growing tomatoes in a container can be tricky, especially if you are growing in a plastic container instead of clay. Plastic or ceramic does not allow for moisture to escape, clay does, by the drainage holes and through the sides of the container by evaporation.

This question is mostly because I have considered growing tomatoes in 5 gallon buckets.
What if you were to drill some very small holes a third, or even halfway up the bucket? More to provide an airflow of sorts, not necessarily as drainage.

 

[headfullofbees]

What happens if the green tomatoes are cracking too?

I would prefer to leave the tomatoes to ripen on the plant. It looks pretty.

So, Chuck stated that you should water only when the plant droops in the morning, and Headfullofbees said water a pint a day.

Which one do I do?

BOTH!
My suggestion of a pint a day is dependant upon your soil type,
(If it's sandy you'll need more; clay less.) and, of course, the size of your plants.
The point is that a pint a day should, if the weather's warm, lead to the drooping that Chuck's after.
The point is that the plants drink, once a day, but just enough to keep them going. Rather than a huge draught once a week.

 

[headfullofbees]

This question is mostly because I have considered growing tomatoes in 5 gallon buckets.
What if you were to drill some very small holes a third, or even halfway up the bucket? More to provide an airflow of sorts, not necessarily as drainage.

Waste of time, may even air-prune needed roots.
A 5gal bucket is big enough for a tomato to grow the surface roots it needs to breathe.

 

[headfullofbees]

I'm not getting in the middle of this, but they live in very different climates so might that be a factor?

Chuck and I are not disagreeing, just trying to get to the same place.
I would say that my advice reinforces Chuck's. (A pint of water a day, especially a US pint, really is not much water.)
CrazyConure lives in Florida which is a foreign climate to us both, but in this instance, climate is irrelevant..

What, I think, we both want CC to do, is to get his/her? plants drooping, then just give them enough water to get through the next day, and repeat...

This will not only help with cracking, but will ripen the tomatoes earlier.

 

[MaryMary]

Thank you for the answer!!

What, I think, we both want CC to do, is to get his/her? plants drooping, then just give them enough water to get through the next day, and repeat...

So, a pint every day that his tomatoes are drooping in the morning? If they're fine, wait a day, then a pint if they are drooping? (My tomatoes crack, too!!)

 

[Beth_B]

Chuck and I are not disagreeing, just trying to get to the same place.
I would say that my advice reinforces Chuck's. (A pint of water a day, especially a US pint, really is not much water.)
CrazyConure lives in Florida which is a foreign climate to us both, but in this instance, climate is irrelevant..

What, I think, we both want CC to do, is to get his/her? plants drooping, then just give them enough water to get through the next day, and repeat...

This will not only help with cracking, but will ripen the tomatoes earlier.

I worded that poorly; I just meant I wasn't about to pile on with more advice!

I think you and Chuck are way better informed than I am. Interesting discussion too.

 

[Chuck]

Thank you for the answer!!


So, a pint every day that his tomatoes are drooping in the morning? If they're fine, wait a day, then a pint if they are drooping? (My tomatoes crack, too!!)

The problem is that CC's tomatoes are in a container and it is very difficult to know how much water is just enough to maintain growth and not overdo it and have cracking. If tomatoes are in the ground and they droop in the morning I give them a regular full watering and I never have cracking unless I have a heavy rain event. And then the only cracking comes on fruits that have white shoulders. The green ones never crack and the ones just starting to color are picked.

Now we can get into determinate and indeterminate and which of those can withstand withholding water and still maintain growth.

 

[headfullofbees]

Thank you for the answer!!


So, a pint every day that his tomatoes are drooping in the morning? If they're fine, wait a day, then a pint if they are drooping? (My tomatoes crack, too!!)

If they're fine, cut back to 3/4 pint a day.
The important thing is a little each day, but not quite enough.