Well, we did get a ripe one yesterday, but it was much smaller and recent than the huge ones that came out first and that I think should've been ripe by now.
Is it possible for them to just stay green? Like, if I did something wrong, that they never get ripe? I'm being tempted to start picking them green and eating them like that *loves green tomatoes*
2006-08-20 13:18:20 · 5 answers · asked by Justhere 2 in Home & Garden ➔ Other - Home & Garden
Don't worry, you didn't do anything wrong. Go ahead, pick some of the large green ones to help the other tomatoes left on the vine to ripen faster. The hot temperature has slowed down ripening in many areas, probably yours, too? Here's what I've discovered about why tomatoes ripen slowly:
Plants that are actively growing while developing fruit may ripen slowly. Too much fertilizer could have caused excessive vegatative growth at the expense of developing ripe fruit. (1)
Getting Them to Turn Red
"The red color of tomatoes won't form when temperatures are above 86oF. So, if you live where the summers get quite hot, leaving tomatoes on the vine may give them a yellowish orange look. It's probably better to pick them in the pink stage and let them ripen indoors in cooler temperature." (2)
" When the fruit set is heavy, it can work against gardeners. Ripening numerous fruit takes a lot of energy from the leaves and tends to delay the whole crop turning red. If there are only a few weeks before frost and fruit is not ripening, try removing some of the mature green fruit to ripen what’s left on the vine.
Cooler September temperatures help fruit to ripen because the red tomato pigments, lycopene and carotene, are not produced above 85 degrees F nor lycopene below 50 degrees F." (3)
2006-08-20 13:28:18 · answer #1 · answered by ANGEL 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋
You should pick them green! Then you can do this: Put the tomatoes in a paper bag along with a ripe [or overripe] Banana. Then place that bag on the counter for a few days. Then the tomatoes ahould be red like ketchup!
2006-08-20 13:26:53 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Dont panic mine are not ripening either.......and also they are a lot smaller this year. I think it was something to do with the heatwave we had here in the UK. Think its stunted its growth. Im gonna give mine a couple more weeks then pick them green. Put them into a dish with a couple of shop bought red ones, that should ripen them indoors ok.
2006-08-20 13:24:45 · answer #3 · answered by lollipoppett2005 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
guy, I even have already submit 9 quarts of selfmade soup and that i've got approximately 30 great ones sitting in the window sill ripening. i'm attempting to %. them previously the stink bugs get to them. have been given 3 previous due tomato flowers setout final week alongside with some previous due squash.
2016-10-02 08:19:08 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
You can force Tomatoes to ripen by cutting their roots. Take your shovel and cut down about 10 inches away from plant.
2006-08-20 13:38:17 · answer #5 · answered by whataboutme 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋