simultaneous reddening

[lfnfan]

for first year growing, I'm really pleased with how my toms are doing - thanks to all for advice etc.

One question, though: how do I get the toms on a truss to all go red simultaneously, so I have a lovely long truss full of ripe red toms? Or is that just some pernicious chemically-induced trick beloved of supermarkets?

At the moment I am leaving them on till they're deep red, then picking. The toms nearest the stem ripen first. Taking only the ripe ones from each truss, I still end up with a goodly handful so no complaints on that score! And they taste quite good too (although I had hoped for a taste explosion, which I'm not totally getting - perhaps more feed or longer on the plant required...?)

Thanks for your help / advice

[Capsid]

I think that commercial growers pick the trusses when the toms are green then they should ripen together. The ripening chemical is ethylene which is produced by all fruit but especially bananas. So if you want to ripen green toms, lay a banana amongst them.

As for taste, this may depend on variety, so which are you growing? I grow gardener's delight which is a small cherry sized tomato and very sweet.

[rustylady]

They taste much better if left to ripen on the vine, so unless you want to show a truss then just do as you're doing and pick the ones that are ready

[Sanjed]

i'm sure i'll be corrected on this, but i thought that there are determinate and indeterminate varieties.

Indeterminate varieties keep growing and fruit continually, determinate varieties grow all the fruit at pretty much the same time and they are all ready within a few days of each other. This (i guess) is how supermarkets get 6 or 8 still on the vine in a little packet all ripe together.

[Alison]

You are right about the two varieties but I don't think this has any bearing on the way they ripen although proably more indeterminate varieties are F1s which may be bred for their uniform ripening qualities. Just pick them as they ripen and you'll do fine, I think the commercial growers often introduce gas to ripen together but that'd be a glut for us!

Re taste, how are you watering. I always make sure that I water to the roots via a plastic bottle as I find that overwatering at the surface can cause a watery taste.

[lfnfan]

thanks for the help people! Nice to know my toms are behaving normally.

Can't recall what variety I have - it's the one Homebase sells (!!!). I didn't realise such things as seed catalogues and many & varied varieties existed till I started coming here.

Ethylene, eh? I think i will stick to current practice and just pick them when they're ready Although it would be nice to take a truss to the in-laws and go 'ta-dah!' to great acclaim. But sounds like they would not taste as scrummy.

Re watering, I'll be the first to admit my practices fall short of ideal (first timer, and less than ideal surroundings are my excuses). At the moment, I water twice a week. I have 4 plants each in half a growbag. Each half-growbag gets a tapwater soaking once a week, from the top till the water runs out the bottom. And a tomorite soaking also once a week, using the same method. The plants don't seem to be complaining, but am I washing away nutrients that would otherwise contribute to flavour?

For next time around I am planning to build a contraption to facilitate watering from the bottom!

[PAULW]

Re watering, I'll be the first to admit my practices fall short of ideal (first timer, and less than ideal surroundings are my excuses). At the moment, I water twice a week. I have 4 plants each in half a growbag. Each half-growbag gets a tapwater soaking once a week, from the top till the water runs out the bottom. !

IFFY
You are better giving a lesser amount of water every day than flooding twice a week, the reason the water is running out of the bottom may be because the compost is dry and not taking up the water rather than being full of water.
Eratic watering is one of the causes of blossom end rot in toms.

[lfnfan]

uh-oh - 'iffy' in capitals is not good news for my toms!

I would be happy to water little and often, but I don't know how I could water my half-growbags little and often from beneath, and am worried that it will not be good for the roots if I water little and often from the top

any advice / hints much appreciated.

[growingkasbar]

I dont know if im doing right or not but, i water my tomatoes every day just a little bit and they seem to be doing ok so far. I also feed them once a week!

[PAULW]

IFFY
My toms are outside in half growbags and they get two gallons shared between three plants every day, what you need to take into account is not just the amount of water the plant drinks but the amount of water lost from the plant by heat and the wind

[Alison]

If you want to water from below when in bags then you can (hopefully!) sink a plastic bottle with the bottom cut off and the lid removed into the soil next to the plant and then water via that. I use this method in the allotment beds also so as to encourage deep roots.

[lfnfan]

my toms get way less than 2 gals/ 3 plants per day.

I had thought of using a water bottle to water the roots, but it only occurred to me after the plants were well established in the growbags. How much damage would it cause to the roots / plant if I burrowed space enough for a 500ml bottle at the edge of each growbag?

Thanks again

[PAULW]

IFFY
It will cause less damage to the roots making a hole for a bottle to go in than letting them constantly dry out

[lfnfan]

LOL. Message received and understood!

Will give it a go this weekend.

Thanks for your advice