Ripening tomatoes

[annie8]

Sorry feel like all I do at the moment is ask questions! Had heard that it might help tomtoes to focus on ripening the fruit if you nip off the top of the plant after maybe 5 trusses have formed. In the couple of years I’ve grown tomatoes I have run out of the season and been left with lots of green tomatoes that I have to ripen off the plant. Was hoping to avoid that this year and feels like I am a bit further ahead but am only this week starting to harvest any. i have quiteca lot of tomatoes growing but they are also still forming buds and flowers. I have been removing foliage so they get some light and air as it was looking like a bit of a jungle. I am also in Scotland so growing season is shorter - although who knows with the weather this year. I have about 20 plants in pots in a greenhouse- Shirley, red cherry, san marzano and gardeners delight. So do people suggest nipping off the top or just leaving them ?

[nickdub]

Main thing at this time of year is avoiding getting blight on your plants - are you growing them in a greenhouse or wherever ?

[bario1]

I would definitely take the tops off, they'll continue putting energy into growing rather than ripening otherwise.

[annie8]

Yes they are in large pots in a greenhouse.

[Jungle Jane]

With cherry tomatoes you can get more than six trusses,I wouldn’t pinch those out yet. To help ripen,remove all the leaves beneath the lowest truss. We like questions in here,it would be too quiet without

[nickdub]

Personally I wouldn't worry too much, as they are inside. As others have said there are things you can do, but as long as you keep watering they will eventually ripen - in fact in the end you'll probably be wondering what to do with them all :-)

[annie8]

I’d love it if I had the problem of too many tomatoes. Will leave maybe for now and see how things go in the next couple of weeks. Have already removed lower foliage and keeping on top of the wee side shoots so that should help.

I have lots more questions if you’re up for it....

[Jungle Jane]

Yes ask any questions if you’re unsure of anything or want to chat about a plant. It’s nice in here that we all like talking about plants,some people in the public aren’t interested. I was amazed once at uk bred tomatoes being sold at Christmas in a supermarket,I started talking to a stranger about it & pointed them out,they were so uninterested,it’s horrible when people aren’t interested (my mum & sister get bored if I talk about my plants but my dad loves plant chat & asks questions I love that).

[bikermike]

the main thing I am finding with my tomato jungle is that they are thiiiiiiirsty. Miss a watering and they split like splitty things.

[Cadalot]

First year with Blossom end rot



And I'm getting some splitting toms



Then I spied blight on my 100s & 1000s and have harvested all the toms from the two offending plants

[Jungle Jane]

Ive had BER on Cyril’s choice & nectar rose in pots & black icicle,cream sausage & orange banana planted in the ground,never happened before,this weathers changed things. A red mulch is supposed to be good for tomatoes? Ive put a brick in one pot,to weigh it down initially but it’s helping shade the roots,might still get more BER though.

[bramble]

My tomatoes are ripening so fast I am having to put some of them in the freezer.
I have aboutv30 plants and about half in the greenhouse and the rest outdoors.

[Bren In Pots]

I'm picking Black Cherry toms every day, San Marzano are just starting to turn but up to yet nothing from my Gardeners delight or Shirleys.
All were sown at the same time and are in the GH border.

[annie8]

Are there particular tomatoes people would recommend for outdoors. Was thinking I might give over one of my raised beds next year for tomatoes. Are you better with more bush types ? Not sure how I’d tie them up outside. In the GH I string them to the ceiling.

[BUFFS]

I stopped taking off the tops of the plants after leaving them on for a trial and the ambrosia toms put out nearly 17 trusses, from an early start, only got 4 toms from the last truss, grown in the border of the greenhouse. the late toms still ripen on the plant and we still have them on the plant well into October, the toms collected late go to make pasta sauces etc.