As Bill said, some varieties are bred to have thicker skins - for shipping protection is my guess. However, it seems that hotter temps and very dry air or inconsistent moisture levels in the soil can also contribute to the problem regardless of the variety. It's part of the plant's natural defense mechanisms. I have found it to be a sometime problem on Rutgers and Celebrity in the past. Later fruit, assuming the weather co-operates, should be better but since plants in containers are prone to developing more problems than those in the ground, it stands to reason that they would be more easily and quickly affected. Mulching the plant helps and so does doing whatever you can to maintain a consistent moisture level. Good luck. ;) Dave

Did you plant a seed or buy a tree? if bought, do you know the variety of your tree? where did you get it? How did you know the peaches were ripe?

Susie I would be really curious as to exactly what variety of cherry tomato you had success with in a 5 gallon. It would have to be one of the dwarf or container types I think as most cherry varieties are 8' tall and 5 ' wide at least and are notorious for doing poorly in any container less than 15 -20 gallons. At any rate no regular sized tomato plant is going to do well in 5 gallons much less thrive without meticulous daily care. The root ball of an EG is easily 3' in diameter so it quickly becomes rootbound in such a small container. That means there is minimal soil left in there to retain water and provide consistent soil moisture levels. You don't indicate your zone or location so I have no idea about your weather but even in the northern zones such a plant would likely need watering multiple times a day. Some can make it work by using a drip irrigation system on an auto timer so the plant receives a low, steady dose of water almost constantly That frequency of watering almost guarantees minimal nutrients in the bucket for the plant as they will have washed out daily. Then when one adds to those problems with high dose N fertilizers and high dose P-K supplements the plant becomes root bound even more quickly. Sorry but the growing conditions you provided are the cause of the problems with your plant and would be for most any plant. I strongly encourage you to do some more research on the Container Gardening forum, specifically on sizes of containers needed, for next year. Dave

Hot and dry will definetly make the skins thicker. A little more water may help a bit but overwatering will cause the skin to split - so go easy. Keep the watering consistant and make sure it's absorbed into the soil (good drainage) and you may see an improvement on future harvest. Best regards.