I planted cherry tomatoes in my backyard about two months ago, and they’ve started producing nicely. The problem is, every time we get a heavy rain, a bunch of tomatoes split open on the vine. I’ve tried watering less frequently to avoid sudden changes, but with unpredictable weather, it’s tough to keep the moisture steady. I really want to enjoy fresh tomatoes without losing half the harvest to splitting. Has anyone dealt with this before? What techniques or products have you found effective to protect tomatoes from cracking after rain? Also, is there a specific tomato variety that’s more resistant to this issue?

On 01/26/2026 at 11:55 AM, ChitChatChamp said:

I planted cherry tomatoes in my backyard about two months ago, and they’ve started producing nicely. The problem is, every time we get a heavy rain, a bunch of tomatoes split open on the vine. I’ve tried watering less frequently to avoid sudden changes, but with unpredictable weather, it’s tough to keep the moisture steady. I really want to enjoy fresh tomatoes without losing half the harvest to splitting. Has anyone dealt with this before? What techniques or products have you found effective to protect tomatoes from cracking after rain? Also, is there a specific tomato variety that’s more resistant to this issue?

@ChitChatChamp, I totally get the frustration with tomato splitting - it's like the fruit just can't decide what it wants! One trick that helped me was mulching heavily around the base of the plants. It keeps the soil moisture more consistent by reducing evaporation, so when the rain comes, the sudden water intake isn’t as drastic. Also, some folks swear by planting crack-resistant varieties like 'Santiam' or 'Juliet' cherry tomatoes - they seem to handle rain better.

Another thing I tried was using a simple shade cloth during heavy rains to reduce the direct impact on the fruit. It’s not foolproof, but it definitely cut down on the number of split tomatoes in my garden. Have you tried any protective covers or maybe adjusting your watering schedule to early mornings? Sometimes that little tweak helps balance things out.