Oh lordy - another tomato query

Discussion in 'Edible Gardening' started by Fidgetsmum, Jul 30, 2010.

  1. Fidgetsmum

    Fidgetsmum Total Gardener

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    I've got 'Tumbling Tom' tomato plants outdoors from which I'm picking regularly. In the greenhouse I've got Alicante and Gardener's Delight, all of which are laden with fruit but which, although they continue to increase in size, remain steadfastly green - there's absolutely no sign of them even beginning to ripen.

    Weather conditions? Too hot? Me? Something else?

    :help:
     
    Fidgetsmum, Jul 30, 2010
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  2. JWK

    JWK Gardener Staff Member

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    No it's not just you. My Gardener's Delight outdoors and in the greenhouse are ripening slowly, I'm not growing Alicante but I've picked a handful of my very early variety. I'm still waiting for other varieties to ripen, I'm wondering if it has been too hot for them all this year - I'm sure in other years I'm picking more than we can eat and having to give them away at the start of the school hols.
     
    JWK, Jul 30, 2010
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  3. Liz W

    Liz W Gardener

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    Do banana skins work? I've got worries about mine as I don't want to lose them to blight (which I'm half expecting) and I've got stacks of green tom chutney left from the year before last.
     
    Liz W, Jul 30, 2010
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  4. JWK

    JWK Gardener Staff Member

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    Don't worry Liz, theres still plenty of time for them to ripen without resorting to banana skins. Fingers crossed on the blight front, we can't get it 3 years running can we?
     
    JWK, Jul 30, 2010
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  5. jw_universe

    jw_universe Gardener

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    My Gardener's Delight are inside next to a very large window. One or two trusses ripened but the rest are green. I found they were green for ages and I was wondering if they needed more sun, then suddenly they went orange, ripening to red :) My first tomatoes from plants I grew myself from seed!
     
    jw_universe, Jul 30, 2010
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  6. JWK

    JWK Gardener Staff Member

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    I bet they taste good jw_universe - well done!
     
    JWK, Jul 30, 2010
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  7. Fidgetsmum

    Fidgetsmum Total Gardener

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    Not me then. Well that's something. What I really need is a garden centre that, along with plants, compost, etc., sells patience - preferably in very large bags!
     
    Fidgetsmum, Jul 31, 2010
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  8. ClaraLou

    ClaraLou Total Gardener

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    I'm growing 'Gardener's Delight' outdoors, along with a couple of other varieties, and the fruit remains stubbornly green despite the plants being in the sunniest bit of the garden. I don't get it, JWK - why should the hottest, sunniest summer for ages slow down the ripening process? :scratch:
     
    ClaraLou, Jul 31, 2010
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  9. JWK

    JWK Gardener Staff Member

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    Clare; it is fairly surprising that tomatoes don't actually like it too hot - seems a contradiction as they originally came from a very hot country. The professional tomato growers keep their greenhouses at 25 deg C maximum, anything above that will stress the plants and slow down growth. Anything above 30 deg C will prevent the red pigments developing in the fruit. So it's really important to get shading onto your greenhouse and ventilate as much as possible. You are growing outside and if the ambient is too high there is not much you can do about it, just wait it out and hope for some cooler weather. Also the outdoor plants suffer from big swings in temperature this time of year which again will slow down the ripening.

    If you want to know more google "tomato ripening lycopene and carotene" (these are the 2 pigments that cause the colour change). Well you did ask!
     
    JWK, Jul 31, 2010
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  10. Blueroses

    Blueroses Gardener

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    I have all those varieties you are growing Fidgetsmum :wink: plus Sweet Million and Tigerella. The ones which ripened first were also the Tumbling Tom outdoors ! Been eating those for 2 weeks now. All the rest are in the greenhouse. The temperature in there is whatever it is with the door open all day and ajar overnight if its still warm. I have had to shade one side a bit with newspaper though. See below for those

    Gardeners delight - had first ripe ones 2 days ago
    Sweet million - 3-4 days ago
    Alicante - just turning now
    Tigerella - 1 ripe one a few days ago, few more turning now

    Just remembered I also have an Alicante outdoors with huge fruit on but still green


    Diana
     
    Blueroses, Jul 31, 2010
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  11. JWK

    JWK Gardener Staff Member

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    It will be worth the wait folks. The few Gardener's Delight I've picked off my outddoor plants are packed with flavour compared to my greenhouse plants.
     
    JWK, Jul 31, 2010
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