Is it worth persevering with toms?

[ESBkevin]

Thin the plant to just the set fruit trusses and four big leaves near the top. Anything else is not helping the fruit at this late stage. It will look sick and spindley but it's about the fruit now. One more feed is about all that will do any good so don't waste that, water regularly though and don't allow it to dry out.
Leave it growing and if you have some fleece you can wrap it in that if the temps drop in the nights. Even if you just get big green fruit you can pick them in a couple of weeks and place them on the kitchen windowsill (next to a banana if you like) and they will ripen even then. Too soon to give up as far as I'm concerned.

[monkeyboy]

Sorry... I meant I pick all the tomatoes, not the plant

Thanks. I was alarmed about where to stick the tomato plant indoors!

Ripe fruit gives off ethylene gas which helps unripe fruit to ripen.

I've always kept bananas away from other fruit to avoid over-ripening them. Never thought about utilising the effect to speed up unripened fruit.

[vixylix]

Even if you just get big green fruit you can pick them in a couple of weeks and place them on the kitchen windowsill (next to a banana if you like) and they will ripen even then. Too soon to give up as far as I'm concerned.

I generally agree Kevin but I'm rapidly losing mine to slugs, so its desperation time!

[monkeyboy]

Well we managed to find the card label in the garden whilst tidying up. These are "gardener's delight" tomatoes. Supposedly good for amateurs. Sod's law I've failed (ish). Probably trimmed a bit too much of the leaf stems.

But there are 21 toms growing at the moment.

[Scarlet]

Still time, once they start turning they will go fast. Gardeners delight is a good starter Tom and it tastes delicious! especially when you've grown them yourselves

Try updating your profile now - I think it will work

[monkeyboy]

Well certainly for next year, I'll be better prepared. I will try it again but will be looking at propagators and aiming for early transplant. Plus hopefully I'll be able to trim properly.

[Scarlet]

You don't really need a propagator if you haven't got a green house, they will germinate well somewhere warm in the house. If you are planting in an outside border you need to have small sturdy plants ready to put out towards the end of May at the earliest. Sow too soon and you will struggle with long spindly plants that won't do so well. Half a dozen well kept plants will give you a better harvest than 20 that you've no room for.
Pinching out is much easier when you start off when the plant is young ........I think you've got the bug

[monkeyboy]

You don't really need a propagator if you haven't got a green house

I was looking at building a growhouse. The idea was to use a propagator indoors to start off certain veg, transfer into larger pots indoors, later into the growhouse and then finally transplant. Would be dependent on the veg since I know some prefer to be sown directly into the soil.

I think you've got the bug

What I really need is the skill and knowledge. Hopefully I will build both over the years.

[Kirk]

Been out looking at mine again, a good number of tomato's and not a red one anywhere, Worst is none look like even thinking of making any attempt at becoming red. Just good solid grren tomato's.

This is the first year that has occurred. Not sure what to do with them all, likely just leve and see what transpires but at this time I am not expecting much.

[ESBkevin]

Kirk, pick some and place them on a south facing windowsill or the kitchen if thats more acceptable. They will ripen with time. Those on the plant will continue to grow and may ripen, as long as you avoid blight you can have a pick again next week, but current weather suggests that will be it for outdoor and probably another week for greenhouse plants.

Theres always green tomato chutney!

[monkeyboy]

As mentioned in another thread, I've not been on here as much due to other things needing attention.

The toms still haven't riped and it's now the start of october. Should I just pluck them or keep them going for a bit longer?

[Jungle Jane]

It's up to you if you want to pick them now or give them a bit longer? I think I can see flowers & some new growth on there,if you cut all that off the plants will only have ripening to do,except it's getting a bit cold now but I would try! I still have a few tomato plants outside on the patio,still ripening daily. Some plants have finished but my German lunchbox,black cherry & Radana plants are still ripening,they only have about five or six leaves at the top. I remove leaves gradually in August & September so the plant can just concentrate on the ripening,seems to help & pick them when they show a blush of colour to ripen indoors on the windowsill,then the plant can get a move on the rest of the tomatoes.

[veggiechicken]

If I were you I'd pick one truss and bring it indoors and leave the other one on the plant. Then you can compare them to see which is the best way and you'll know for next year.

[monkeyboy]

I think I can see flowers & some new growth on there,if you cut all that off the plants will only have ripening to do

After I took this photo, I did a bit of pruning. All branches with flowers were removed, any side shoots were removed too.

Should I remove all foliage? Would this speed things up or cause more detrimental harm to the plant?

If I were you I'd pick one truss and bring it indoors and leave the other one on the plant. Then you can compare them to see which is the best way and you'll know for next year.

I'm tempted to bring them in within the next week or so depending on how things progress. I want to avoid frost damage.

[Jungle Jane]

I'd remove some of the low down leaves,leave about a couple of stems of leaves at the top so it's got a few,I never remove them all in one go,I hope we get some more sunshine because they might not change colour. It's a good idea to take one truss inside now,gives the plant less to do & a few might ripen indoors,none might ripen outdoors. What I have done before is uproot the plant,get the soil off the roots & hang the whole plant upside down indoors,it might be worth a try.