Getting tomatoes to turn

ange169us · Post by **ange169us** » Sep 11, 2007 1:47 am

Every year i plant 20 tomatoe plants so i have tons of tomatoes for canning. The first year they did great. The past 5 years I have had to throw 90% of them away because they just wouldn't turn. This year they really arent turning either. I have tried putting them in paper bags with and without newspapers, and i have tried putting them in a fridge drawer with bananas. That doesn't seem to work. Does anyone have any suggestions. I would really appreciate it. Thank you!

wishiwere · Post by **wishiwere** » Sep 11, 2007 7:54 am

Vine ripened are the best, but do you have a sunny window? That has always worked when those few laggers remain, but with a lot of them, hmmmmm...not sure there.

Do you rotate your crops every year?

And do they get enough warm/air temp water fed under the plant? or do you water overhead with a hose?

ange169us · Post by **ange169us** » Sep 11, 2007 9:17 am

I have a sprinkler system in the center of the garden. Also I have way too many to put in the windows. I just found out this year that i have to alternate sides every year. So i plan on doing that next year.

John · Post by **John** » Sep 11, 2007 9:41 am

Notice you are in upstate NY. Is your growing season long enough for the varieties you plant? I have seen that tomatoes will not turn red here if the temperatures are over 90 degrees. Very often they hang on the vines until the weather cools off. I like fried green tomatoes, but that will not help your plans to can them. I can only suggest planting a tomato requiring fewer days to maturity.

We used to ripen the ones still green by wrapping each one in newspaper, then they went into drawers in an old dresser in the basement.

kHT · Post by **kHT** » Sep 11, 2007 11:12 am

I have to agree with John and try to find a different type that will rippen earlier. Plus being it's in the Solanaceae family one needs to rotate and what them for viruses.
One of my friends passed along the Irish Variegated tomatoes of which we are trying for the first time, aren't they so cool? Yes the tomotoes are stripped too! Here is a shot of the tomatoes from this am

Violet_Skies · Post by **Violet_Skies** » Sep 17, 2007 11:12 am

Those are very interesting and beautiful, KHT! How do they taste?

As for ripening, you can just let them set on the counter, or wherever you have room, at room temperature. (Never refrigerate tomatoes, it destroys their flavor.) If they have ANY pink to them at all, even a blush near the bottom, they will eventually ripen without the assistance of things like newspaper or bananas or darkness or whatever. The ones without even the faintest pink blush probably will not ripen. But I have had tomatoes ripen on the counter and be ready to eat at Christmas. Don't give up hope!