Heat causing tomatoes to stay green?

Mauldintiger

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Hot as hades here with highs 95* and up, for the last three weeks, also pretty dry. Researched how heat affects tomatoes and found that warm night time temps of 75-80* delays tomato ripening? I pick mine usually when they start showing color, but some of what I read suggested to pick when they were a lighter pale green all over, without the dark green shoulders, so I picked a few this morning to give it a try. I've always picked all the green ones when expecting a frost and they will ripen inside.
Never tried it in the summer.
Might be a good way to get the 20+ lbs. all ripe at the same time that you need for canning.
What do you guys think?
 

baymule

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I am in some bodacious heat myself and my garden is baking like a hot oven. Mine will ripen on the vines, but I pick when they show color, about half ripe. I have problems with rotting from sun scorch, so I pick early.
 

Mauldintiger

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Thanks Debbie, it might be a good pic if my fat finger wasn't covering the corner, didn't notice until I posted.
Also, avatar pic shows I had waaay more ripe tomatoes last year than when I got back from vacation this year, last summer here was much more temperate.
This pic is from this year, same week as last, much fewer tomatoes and I have about 10 more plants.
Just when you think you have things figured out, Mother Nature starts throwing curve balls!
 

Mauldintiger

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I use the pics from my iPhone in "notes", as part of my Garden Journal, just figured out I could do that!
 

thistlebloom

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Those darn tomatoes are sure picky! They don't like it too cool, they don't like it too warm....sounds like a Goldilocks story.

I will surely never have to worry about them not ripening because of warm nights. I just wish the days would get up to 80. :rolleyes:
 

seedcorn

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Stay out of NE INdiana. Too many people as is! ;)
 

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