Tomato advice

[Bill HH]

I have 4 Shirley plants that are carrying vast amounts of large tomatoes, I have had to support every truss. Unfortunately they are outside and not showing much sign of ripening soon (I have had one small one turn red).

So should I leave them? or act now and hang the trusses in the cold GH? or take them indoors in dark boxes with banana skins? or throw them at my local MP?

Is there any point in leaving them on the plant, does being on the plant aid ripening once they are up to size?.

ps I dont like green tomato chutney.

I have been very impressed with this variety and will grow some in GH next year.

[Bigmallly]

I have the same problem Bill, once I see the slightest change in colour, I have been putting them in an old shoe box to ripen. Excellent results so far but I still have lots of large Marmande still as green as grass & they are in the kite............

[chris]

I just stick mine in a bowl on the window sil.

[redser]

I'm leaving mine on the plant longer and making sure to nip out any sort of new growth. Forecast in about 5 days is for more warmth so there could be a pleasant autumn for a bit. First sign of frost and I'll be taking them off the plants and then try ripen them indoors.

[veggiechicken]

I leave them on the plant as long as possible - then pick the whole truss and let them ripen on that.
If they're off the truss, ripen them in the dark in a box. I rarely end up with an unripened tomato and often I'm eating them in January

[BertieFox]

The banana treatment always works for us. Put the truss of green tomatoes inside a bag (not plastic) or in a metal tin or under a plastic cover with one or two ripening bananas. The ethylene from the bananas hastens the ripening process in the tomatoes.

[chris]

Is a dark box better than a sunny windowsil?

[BUFFS]

as summer is finished here(weeks ago) ,i lift the whole plant,trim off the root and hang it upside down in the greenhouse,they ripen well in there,it works for me and this morning we made 14ltrs of tom soup with own tomatoes,carrots,onions,peppers,garlic etc,all now in ice cream tubs in the freezer,beats the shop muck hands down ,with home made bread...oh yeeeeeeeeeees...

[veggiechicken]

Is a dark box better than a sunny windowsil?

I read somewhere that if you keep them dark they ripen from the inside out, but if you ripen them in the light the skins toughen before the inside ripens.
My Grampy kept his in an old suitcase, lined with a Welsh wool blanket, under the bed, in an unheated room. If you don't do this exactly, don't blame me if they don't ripen.

Try an experiment Chris

[Bill HH]

Down here in Torquay we dont get much frost usually so I shall leave them a while, I may be wrong but I think they taste better if they ripen on the plant. Next year I shall make damn sure I get them in earlier, maybe sow 6 seeds a week from christmas on until six survive. Ive done the banana thing before and it certainly helps. how about leaving them on the plant outside but in a plastic bag (Like a dry cleaning bag) with a banana or two for company. Thanks for all the advice.

[taff]

you're more likely to forget they're in the box...my MIl did about 5 years ago with the only proper toms I grew...I was very not happy at the waste.....

[Penellype]

I grow Shirley and find that they do better indoors than out on the whole, although I have had a few ripe tomatoes from the outdoor plants. I bring them indoors as soon as they start to show signs of ripening as I'm terrified of blight having lost all the outdoor ones last year. They will ripen nicely whatever you do with them, but putting them with ripe fruit of any sort will help. I think ripe fruit gives off a chemical which aids ripening of other unripe fruit.

I like the idea of hanging the whole plant in the greenhouse - I'll give that a go

[BertieFox]

Re-dark vs light, what ripens them is not the sunshine or light but the warmth and the chemical composition of the air around them. That is why the presence of certain other ripening fruit works, and why a closed box or drawer is likely to be warmer than a window sill which can get cold when the sun goes in.

[Bill HH]

That is the conclusion I have come to. I think it matters not what light there is, its the temperature that is the key. Maybe I will hang them upside down in an old pair of the wifes draws in the airing cupboard. It might give the resulting tomato soup a certain " je ne sais quoi"

[mothhawk]

Down here in Torquay we dont get much frost usually so I shall leave them a while, I may be wrong but I think they taste better if they ripen on the plant. Next year I shall make damn sure I get them in earlier, maybe sow 6 seeds a week from christmas on until six survive. Ive done the banana thing before and it certainly helps. how about leaving them on the plant outside but in a plastic bag (Like a dry cleaning bag) with a banana or two for company. Thanks for all the advice.

I sowed a couple of mine in January and they still have loads of green tomatoes on them. I think sowing them early gives you a longer season (i.e. more fruit) but you're still left with green 'uns