Novice Gardner

OK, I'll admit that this not much of a garden for those who've heard me talk about raising a few tomatoes, etc.  This is what I call a "postage stamp" garden. We've really had good success with the cucumbers and peppers and some mild success with tomatoes and this is where the question comes. We have had loads of yellow plum tomatoes (altho' I would have named them "gourd" tomatoes rather than plum based on the shape) and a few Better Boys. I don't understand why so many of both types have splits in the skin. I have found some of the yellow plum tomatoes so ripe that they fall off the plant when you shake it to remove another tomato and they may not have a split in the skin while others have a split in the skin when they don't even appear ripe. Almost all the Better Boys have had splits even before they appeared to be ripe.

Does anyone reading this have an answer? I'm wondering if there is something I need to do differently next year. Is this due to the excess rain we've been having, or just a common thing that happens? I'll have to admit I've seen a few of other people's tomatoes that appear this way but very few.

I have already learned a few things I'll do different next year like pruning the suckers early on, a different fertilizer routine and I'll stick with the upside down plantings and skip the cages. We'll also move the post for the topsy turvey tomatoes to a location where they get more sunshine. I didn't realize how much of the morning the huge trees to the east blocked the sunlight. The location seems to have been great for the cucumbers, not too bad for the peppers but not good at all for the tomatoes.