SO many tomatoes and peppers, but they are still all green!

[Two_Sheds]

if your in the Midlands and your toms arn't ripening at this time, ...your deffo doing something wrong

The weather varies significantly even within a few miles. eg I have been getting a few ripe toms every week, yet RustyLady just 8 miles down the coast has had a lot less. Her temp is typically 2c colder than me and it can be raining there and sunny here.

This summer overall has been cool & dark (here, anyway).

[traceys plot]

peppers can be picked with a stalk, then thread together and hang somewhere warm they should ripen.

[Potstubsdustbins]

2 Sheds I take your point but I am fairly high up for Nottm and suffer winds and lower temps that my gardening friends. Also I agree this year has been bad weather, the coolest summer for some years.

But I repeat if you don't feed, the fruit don't grow to size. If the fruit don't grow to size, it will not ripen properly.

Now if I can get loads of tumbler from outside hanging baskets then anyone growing at ground level in a sheltered spot in the same area should be harvesting the same or more.

Colin

[VirginVegGrower]

Colin I think your idea and that of AP of diluted feeding every other day is a 100% goer. A bit too late in the season maybe as advice goes for the unfortunate greensters but well worth parking in your brain for next year. I will! Having looked at the weather here I have taken my Roma toms today, some of which have ripened but the last few I have cut off in trusses and laid on trays with bananas. One look at the weather today has left me thinking I should cut those last few losses and clean up the tom tents. Ones in greenhouse still going strong. Season is all to pot this year. Last year's winners are this year's failures and vice versa. Considering ripping up BNS which has not one fruit on. I have a flower garden at home and don't need another on the Lottie.
For those worried suggest cutting out some leafy foliage and lay cordon toms down on straw then cloche. Up the feeding and cross your fingers. Summer seems to be over :-(

[bethduckie]

haha... red cayennes today!

*happy dance*

[Potstubsdustbins]

VVG,

Glad you agree I am sure you will see the benefits next year.

The facts of my tom season 2011 to date (not pulling anything out yet, keeping fingers crossed).

The seeds were put down in modules on 26/02, placed on a window sill and watered from the bottom. When they started to get root bound they were potted on as deep as possible into 3" pots. This went on until they were in 5" pots, when the give aways went to their new owners. I kept 6 Sungold & 4 Tumbler and in return for a give away a friend gave me a plum type grown from an ASDA tom. After hardening off they went into an unheated green house about the first week of May.
Again when they were starting to get root bound the 6 Sungold and the plum were put into Morrisons pots and stayed in the GH.
The 4 Tumbler went into their individual hanging baskets, were further hardened off and went out first week of June. Then back in for 2 days with severe winds, went out, came back in due to severe winds and finally went out mid June.
Harvest started almost straight away and is on going still though it as slowed this last week due to the weather.

Now I love my toms and so eat them in some form or another every day, plus as I garden I am always snacking on toms straight from the vine. The pic below shows what SWMBO has frozen so far this year, she as had to turn to puree as there were to many to freeze whole, all this and we have some left over to give to friends.

Colin

[VirginVegGrower]

Same here - just masses - I have fed us, my mum, neighbours (nice ones), made shed loads of passata, and used lots oven roasted in meals cooked so far. Kids pop them off the vine as they help water and feed. Potatoes and tomatoes are my best this year.
Who's SWMBO?

[taff]

Summer seems to be over :-(

ssshhhh!!!

[Florence Fennel]

Who's SWMBO?

Colin's better half - She Who Must Be Obeyed.

I had loads last year, so much that I decided to grow only half as many this year and then I tried to drown them and instead of having half as many, I have hardly any!

[Two_Sheds]

if you don't feed, the fruit don't grow to size. If the fruit don't grow to size, it will not ripen properly

Well, here I present exhibit No.1 ~ a red tomato that's been grown only in water, never been fed, never been in any soil

(it was an armpit that I never got round to potting on)

However, after laughing about that, you are right that toms need feeding to do their best. Mine have been getting comfrey tea with every watering, so that's every day basically. I've had ... now this has surprised me ... 20lb red and 7lb green

[VirginVegGrower]

Colin's better half - She Who Must Be Obeyed.

Ah ha! Kept thinking of all other sentence strings but not that one

[VirginVegGrower]

ssshhhh!!!

Whispers...sorry

[chris]

I'd never thought about freezing whole, I've been constantly boiling them down slowly, then blitzing up with a hand blender, then freezing.

I just picked a kilo of green toms, after leaving them on the plants outdoors for as long as possible (they're covered in blight now, beginning to die off). They're on the kitchen windowsill with a banana in the dish! If they don't ripen, then I'll make chutney out of 'em.

[taff]

they're great when you do take them out of the freezer after freezing whole, they clink like pool balls in the bag....uh oh...back to bagging....anyway...I only did it because I was pig sick of blanching, de-skinning and chopping. There are still packets of chopped toms and billiard balls in the freezer from last year..