The figs are starting to come ripe, finally. They are a little bit late by about one week. Yummy! We are getting maybe three or four per day and at last count there were over 80 figs.

Our tomatoes are coming ripe at a rapid pace too. We have three plants, all heirlooms. They may not be pretty, but they are totally delicious. I don't know why they are cracking on the top. Too much water? Not enough water? They are just in big pots on the deck, so maybe they are root bound. They are producing though!

They look great—even the tomatoes! Our tomatoes last year broke open too, particularly toward the end of the season. I never figured out why, but I suspected the plants got too dry.

Just googled cracks on tops of tomatoes.    The one on the left has this problem according to one garden website: “Concentric splitting; Seen as circles around the stem, usually scar over but can reopen if there’s too much water and initiate a rotting sequence. A genetic association with certain varieties, mainly OP’s.”  Another comment on cracking in general, “The two most important factors I’ve found in cutting down on cracking in general are watering evenly (thick mulching helps a lot in keeping the soil evenly moist and cool, especially in our climate), and not leaving the fruits on the vine until dead ripe. Fruits do not need to be left on the vine until dead ripe for the best taste (common myth). It also helps to go thru and pick anything with a decent blush *before* each watering.”

If mu previous comment was too much info to post here is a link to a whole website devoted to tomatoes!  http://www.tomatodirt.com/tomato-cracks.html
I know they are good because I had one!!  Naturally the figs got ripe AFTER I left!

Steve, glad you liked them.

C, you are the Google Queen and you still reign supreme on info! What are OP’s? I have to wonder. They are in pots, so no mulching happening and I don’t leave them on until dead ripe. I guess it has to do with when I water them and how much vs the rain and all.

Carolyn is 100% correct… uneven watering… thanks mother nature… but who cares… still prob. the best tom’s you’ve eaten all summer!

My figgy survived it’s first winter in the garage and has an impressive 20 figs on it… all green.  I keep watching cause last year, when it only had 3 I lost one precious fig cause I waited too long to pick it.

Maggie, well part of the uneven watering might be my fault, but I do water them every day (when it doesn’t rain). They ARE the best toms we’ve eaten all summer! And yeah for your figgy. They minute they turn color nab them. Mine start to split if left even a day too late which makes them leak and then the birds find them.