o/t tomatoes wont ripen

glennster · Sep 18, 2011

any body else having problems getting tomatoes to ripen? this is the second year in a row we had this happen. prolly 1/3 of the tomatoes ripened bright red, the rest are all green. big boy and beefsteak. some started from seed, rest were plants purchased from a couple different greenhouses.

Bruce from Can. · Sep 18, 2011

Read some where that if you put a tomato in a paper bag with a apple for a day or two, the ethelene gas that is naturally given off by the apple will cause the tomato to go red. Still not ripe, but red . Just like the ones in the store in winter.

David G · Sep 18, 2011

Mine won't either.

HenryO · Sep 18, 2011

Here in NE ohio we are having the same problem. Our tomatoes just grow green and not ripen so wwe are picking them and waiting till they are red to use them(except the bunch we have made into fried green tomatoes, which I just love.)

jason, NW Ontario · Sep 18, 2011

Paper bag a bunch at a time to help ripen - it's the ethylene gas they'll emit.
As for the problem on the vine - check with your greenhouse, they're probably some weird new hybrid strain and not a tried-and-true heirloom variety; if it IS an heirloom variety, then I'm puzzled also.

Jay

old · Sep 18, 2011

Yep BTDT and learned to can green tomato salsa and it is as good if not better then the red stuff

David G · Sep 18, 2011

I just google the issue, it says that tomatoes will not ripen if it is over 85 degrees.

That explains why this summer.

ndbob · Sep 18, 2011

go to www.dakotagardener.com and download Sept. update

in-too-deep · Sep 18, 2011

'Least yours are still alive. I didn't believe the weatherman Tuesday night. Didn't cover 'em and the frost murdered them. Was able to salvage a handful of Lemon Boy and some jalapenos.

larry@stinescorner · Sep 18, 2011

all mine are shot from all the rain,any that did ripen cracked open on the top. They are all shot now from the last rain

Eldon (WA) · Sep 18, 2011

We have that problem every year out here. I find that shutting off the irrigation and stressing the plant helps...some people cut back the foliage, some tug on the plant base....if the X on the bottom of the tomato is yellow, the tomato will ripen on its own. If you can't see an x, it will only turn red if you put it in a sack with a banana....and taste like a store-bought mater.....

ShadetreeRet · Sep 18, 2011

If they don't ripen at over 85 degrees, we wouldn't have tomatoes in the south! 'Course we get a lot of sunburned tomatoes also.

rlp in Co. · Sep 18, 2011

I wonder if you cut off the water to them, if they would ripen faster?
If you cut the whole plant off before a frosty nite, you can hang them in the barn and they will ripen on the vine.
Start your own plants in Feb. next year.

Anonymous-0 · Sep 19, 2011

(quoted from post at 17:36:00 09/18/11) any body else having problems getting tomatoes to ripen? this is the second year in a row we had this happen. prolly 1/3 of the tomatoes ripened bright red, the rest are all green. big boy and beefsteak. some started from seed, rest were plants purchased from a couple different greenhouses.

When life hands you lemons.........Make lemonade...........

In this case, enjoy fried green tomatoes....

Anonymous-0 · Sep 19, 2011

Green tomato pickles also.all is not lost.

HughB · Sep 19, 2011

I plant "Better Boy" as early as possible to avoid the heat later in the summer. That will depend on where you live. About a third of the crop will ripen on the vine. When it turns hot I watch for the tomatoes to lose there "green apple" look and start turning a lighter color. That seems to be as ripe as they get in the heat. I pick them and put them in cardboard boxes, single layer of tomatoes, with the lids closed tight. As they begin to ripen I take them out and put them on the window sills to speed the process.
We can these and use them in cooking. It works for me. We plant at least 18 to 20 plants a year for our own use.

o/t tomatoes wont ripen

glennster

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Bruce from Can.

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David G

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HenryO

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jason, NW Ontario

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old

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David G

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ndbob

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in-too-deep

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larry@stinescorner

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Eldon (WA)

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ShadetreeRet

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rlp in Co.

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Anonymous-0

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Anonymous-0

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HughB

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