Slow tomatoes

[curly_kate]

Is there any way to speed up my tomatoes' ripening? There are a ton of green ones, but no sign of red. The garden as a whole seems to be slower this year than usual (other than the zukes & cukes!), which I'm chalking up to about 2 weeks of weirdly cool weather we had at the end of June/beginning of July - although I may be wrong about that. I usually have some of my cluster tomatoes by this point in time, so I'm DYING for a fresh tomato!

 

[digitS']

The only "speeding" of ripening I've done is as frost is approaching.

If we are coming up to that first frost date and I've got a tomato patch loaded with green and little red - I don't water. Of course, rain can thwart my attempt to withhold water from the plants . . . Gotta say that gardening in a place where August and September monthly precipitation normals are less than 3/4 of an inch, too much unscheduled water is seldom an issue.

Maybe if you are watering daily . . . it would be best to stop that practice for the sake of a ripe tomato . Other than that:


Perhaps those who prune their plants can comment on whether that practice hastens ripening.

Steve

 

[Southern Gardener]

It seems my tomatoes took forever to turn also - especially my cherry tomatoes. I just started picking them last week.

 

[curly_kate]

Interesting. And you're a couple of zones further south than me. Hope I don't still have a few more weeks to go. I want a BLT.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Other than a few cherry tomatoes, I harvested my first tomatoes today, a Brandy Boy and a Japanese Black. That Japanese Black was gooooood! I also have a lot of green tomatoes waiting. We did get about an inch of rain about a week ago. It was dry for three weeks prior and hot and dry since so I don't think too much water is the problem. Thinking about it though, they are heavily mulched. They may not notice it is dry out. Anyway, certain varieties do ripen earlier than others, but I think you just need patience. They are worth waiting for.

Did I mention the Japanese Black was gooooood!

 

[Hattie the Hen]

Hi Ridgerunner

I've got a lot of Japanese Blacks in flower & just setting fruit so it's great to hear yours taste so good -- I'm really looking forward to them but it will be quite a while till then.........!! Hmmm.......patience.....!

I'm only growing them because I was watching a TV programme over here, where a famous chef was doing a taste-test on tomatoes & it won hands down. I immediately ordered the seeds. It was interesting when I sowed them as they were the first variety to germinate!


:rose Hattie :rose

 

[Ridgerunner]

Hattie,
I grew Japanese Black last year for the first time. I got it from the University of Arkansas Horticultural Club plant sale. I took some tomatoes to my brother when I visited since his tomatoes were not ripe yet. He took one bite of the Japanese Black then started saving the seeds. So it was early last year too.

It is not a firm tomato, quite soft actually. It's one of those that gets red on the bottom but stays green on top. I test it for ripeness more by feel than color.

Good luck on your tomatoes ripening. When I lived in Copenhagen, I had to put my tomatoes in a greenhouse to get them to ripen. I believe your latitude is a bit lower than Copenhagen's so hopefully yours will do better.
Ridgerunner

 

[lesa]

It is a little early here in zone 4 for ripe tomatoes- but I think it will be very slow here as well. Now, we are starting a pattern of high 40's at night- which is unheard of in July!!!! I really think the veggies are suffering from the cold and of course, the non-stop rain! Hoping for warmer days...

 

[Chiefs Mess]

I am loaded with tomatoes too!!!!!
Sister in Law said since the nights are cool the tomatoes will not ripe. Don't know if that is the reason.

 

[Hattie the Hen]

Ridgerunner,

I can usually raise tomatoes OK here but I find it's better to raise them in pots just in case we have a rotten summer like last year. We usually have good warm weather right through September into October. I can take the pots inside to finish ripening if necessary -- I intend to do this to the peppers too --I have very deep window-sills & lots of sunny windows.

Thanks for the advice about how to gage when to pick them.

:rose Hattie :rose