Argh! How to get tomatoes to ripen on the plant?

Question

These tomatoes have been sitting on the vine, not growing or doing anything, all summer!! They are still green, there is about 20 of them, and we have about 3 weeks left of decent weather. How do I talk them into getting ripe??!!

Yes, they are growing in ideal conditions, they were planted May 1 (plants were fairly big at that time), they are planted in composted horse manure mixture, and they are watered 2x every week. It doesn't get very hot where I live, usually around mid-80s to low 90s maximum! It's bizarre why they've taken this long, I'm used to having first tomatoes by mid-August at the latest!

Oh yeah, could it be the variety? This year I planted "Beefsteak", do they take forever? I know Brandywine tomatoes take a lifetime before they are ready.

Answer 1

IS IT HOT? MY HUSBAND SAYS MOST PEOPLE DON'T WATER THE PLANTS ENOUGH. WE USUALLY HAVE TOMATOES UNTIL AT LEAST THANKSGIVING IN ILLINOIS.

Answer 2

The more tomatoes you have on the plant, the slower they will grow and ripen. If you remove some to ripen indoors, the ones on the vine will have an easier time of it. I place tomatoes in paper bags to ripen in the kitchen, and I have read that you can do the same when tomatoes are still on the plant: place a small paper back around each tomato and close it. Tomotoes release ethylene gas which speeds ripening. You don't have to worry about the fruit not receiving direct sun, because the sunlight is processed by the leaves, not by the tomato itself. Plastic bags aren't recommended because they trap moisture and can cause rot.

Answer 3

Pinch out all the strategies of the vegetation and likewise do away with the decrease leaves. additionally, end watering the vegetation and that they're going to ripen plenty quicker now. green apple chutney is gorgeous, too. additionally, in case you p.c.. some tomatos and positioned next to 3 ripe bananas, the gasoline from them will help ripen the picked tomatos. yet differently, however i do no longer use this methodology, is to place some tomatoes right into a brown paper bag and place right into a drawer till repe.

Answer 4

Patience, my friend, is one way. Another way to ripen tomatoes quickly at the end of the growing season is to take a spade and dig around the plant to cut the roots. This will cause the tomatoes to ripen.

Answer 5

You must not be far from me. In Idaho, my tomatoes have been producing for some time, and will be for a couple of weeks yet. Have they been in the sun with plenty of water and good soil? Perhaps you planted them late? Mine were in early May. Good luck and hope for a late frost!

Answer 6

Sometimes if they are slightly red and green....you can go ahead and pull them off the vine and let them sit it the kitchen and they will eventually ripen......thats what we had to do with our tomatoes!! Hope I helped!

Answer 7

I had the same problem.They are finally ripening without any problem. Lyn is right, you really need to keep them adequately watered, it worked for me. I've also been doing a very light feeding regularly. I've had no more problems with them failing to ripen.

Best of luck to you.

Answer 8

Wait until right before frost. pick them and put them in a brown paper sack and let them ripen.

Some people just pull up the whole vine and put it somewhere cool.
the vine will still support the fruit for a few more days.

Answer 9

I that I can say is time will ripen them for you.Just check on them from time to time, a7 one day they will start ripening on the vine.

Answer 10

well...give them some sun and plenty of water....and fertilize it every now and then... and once they are red, pick them slightly green and yellow because they will ripen on your counter top if left out for a few days.