April 21, 2022: Answer 2

Dear Neil: What can I do to stop my tomatoes from cracking around their stems? O.L., Waco.

Photo: That happens in hot weather of June into July. You can try harvesting them just a little prematurely and letting them ripen the rest of the way indoors. This rarely happens with fall tomatoes that are produced in cooler weather. This is the reason I strongly recommend making a second fall planting of tomato transplants by the first week of July. The new plants will establish quickly and grow well from summer into the fall. (Photo credit to my friend and highly respected retired Georgia Extension horticulture specialist Walter Reeves.)

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That happens in hot weather of June into July. You can try harvesting them just a little prematurely and letting them ripen the rest of the way indoors. This rarely happens with fall tomatoes that are produced in cooler weather. This is the reason I strongly recommend making a second fall planting of tomato transplants by the first week of July. The new plants will establish quickly and grow well from summer into the fall.

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Posted by Neil Sperry
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