Slow Ripening Toms

[Locki]

Slow Ripening Toms

I've Grown Toms For Many Years outdoors .. in Pots on the Patio .. Never had Huge sucess but always produced a few pounds of Toms each yr..

I'm in Devon on the Cornish Border

This year is my First year with a Greenhouse.. it's only 8x6
yet im feeling real excitement at the propect of producing a proper crop for the first time ...

The Toms are huge ..... every plant has loads of Tomatoes on

But they are All Green

And by the second week of August i'd have expected to be cropping some fruit or at least seeing them start to turn

I Have 2 hanging baskets with a Trailing Red Tom Variety outside and they have both produced cherry toms so far as normal

A friend has said .. it's been the same for him .. Toms seem to be late this year

is this right ?

or just a problem in the south west ?


anyhow i've enjoyed reading through this forum
keep up the good work

Lock

[rustylady]

Hi Locki, welcome to the Vine. My tomatoes have only been ready to pick for about a week. Sungold and Gardener's Delight in a 6 x 8 greenhouse. They should start turning soon, and then you'll have loads - what variety do you have in the greenhouse? If you go to your profile, you can add your location and then it will show up on your posts (top right hand corner - you will see from this reply that I am in Lowestoft)

[taff]

mine are only just starting now too.

[Two_Sheds]

Mine are only coming in dribs & drabs too

[Homewood]

I have a vine crop, just one plant outside. Its got tonnes on it too, but only two have ripened so far..... Theyll probably all turn when i go on holiday for a week! Lol.

[salilah]

I've had around 20 from around 18 outdoor plants (too crowded) but only around 4 so far from the greenhouse (around 20 plants, too crowded) - they are just starting to turn...
First year also with greenhouse so can't compare with previous!
S

[crazii_c]

my 3 tumbling plants have started to produce ripe tomatoes. but my 9 plants outside also have lots of toms on but they seem to be at a stand still. i need a bit more sun for them to ripen!

[Leeds_lad]

Got myself 6 plants full of juicy green tomatos, but no red ones so far, so you are not alone!

[frogga]

Our tomatoes in the greenhouse are only just starting to turn, however the cherry tomatoes outdoors around the house have been turning for the last 3 weeks now.

[Bren In Pots]

I've picked a few Moneymaker and Marmande but I'm still waiting for my Lemon tree to turn yellow.

[blito]

6*8 greenhouse in Lincoln. 15 moneymakers loaded with green toms.. just starting to ripen. Otherwise all looking very healthy. Chillies and Peppers also going slow this year.

[Leeds_lad]

Is there anything that you can do to speed up the ripening process. I read somewhere about cutting the tops off the plants, or is there a special feed or something you can give them?

[taff]

you cut the tops off the plants to encourage them to put all their energy into the fruit, whether ripening, or growing what's left a bit bigger.
no idea about special feeds though, in fact, now you mention it, I have no idea whether the regular feed you're supposed to give them is for formation of fruit, or to help with the general well-being of the plant because it's making fruit, if that makes sense....

[Davyburns]

Is there anything that you can do to speed up the ripening process. I read somewhere about cutting the tops off the plants, or is there a special feed or something you can give them?

It helps if you put banana skins round the base of the plants. Bananas give of ethylene gas which helps the toms ripen

[Two_Sheds]

Is there anything that you can do to speed up the ripening process.

Yes: go away on a week's holiday
Do you remember Eddie Izzard's fruit sketch? The fruit all sits in the bowl, not ripening, still hard. Then you turn your back and it's all gone rotten