Why are my tomato skins tough?
QWhy are some of my tomatoes a bit chewy? I grew ‘Gardener’s Delight’ and ‘Sungold’ F1. Sue Mann, via email
AThe most common reason for tomato skins being tough is overfeeding with high-potash fertilisers.
Many people recommend using tomato feed, but I would alternate between tomato feed (high in potassium to promote fruiting) and a balanced feed with good levels of nitrogen to promote healthy leafy growth.
The strongest and healthiest plants have access to the full range of nutrients required for growth, and to concentrate on one aspect, potentially at the expense of others, will not promote good all-round growth or vigour.
Tough skins can also arise due to too much heat, too much sunlight or insufficient water.
Having just about enough water may mean plants aren’t growing at their maximum ability, but they are growing. If water supply suddenly increases the plants will put on a spurt of growth, which may result in distorted growth, fruitsplitting and so on.
The advantage of growing tomatoes in a greenhouse is that you can have some control of their growing conditions.
Make sure that on warm, sunny days the temperature is not allowed to get too high, so provide as much ventilation as possible and consider shading.
The other aspect to consider is watering. The aim is to keep the compost moist at all times, not to allow it to dry out between waterings, but equally not to allow it to sit wet.