Ripening Toms etc

[Vince G]

Just got back from holiday and the polytunnel is like a jungle!!!

All the plants are packed respectively with tomatoes, chillis and peppers. My question is: do these need direct sunlight in order to ripen? The foliage on some plants has got very lush whist we were away and keeps the fruit in shade all the time, the only ripe toms I have are the cherry toms which are right next to the plastic on the south side, so get a lot of sun......perhaps I'm answering my own question here.....

Would it be advisable to do some selective de-forestation in order to give the sun access to the fruit?

The peppers and chillis are similarly shadowed, but not quite to the same extent as the toms.

[Florence Fennel]

I don't think it's necessarily sunlight Vince, (though that's a bonus), but yes, do take off some of the foliage, particularly the lower stuff, to get some light to the fruit. I only do this with tomatoes, not sure about t'other two.

[Sarico]

i'm not an expert but i read that tomatoes don't need sunlight but the leave have to be expose to the sun... so if you plant get sunlight is good but if are in shade i think you should cut some leaves off.

[Alison]

I think the issue is more to do with air flow than sunlight, if there isn't enough air then you'll get mould etc which can do for your plants so I sometimes take off the odd leaf or two for that but otherwise not a problem, they need leaves to photosynthesis.