What was the ratio on the fertilizer you used? Its possible you used one that was balanced as a lawn feed or for leafy veggies as opposed to fruiting, and the high nitrogen kicked the plants over into foliage mode instead of fruit mode.

Thats the first thing that springs to mind for me, anyway. Could be any number of factors though, from sunlight differences, even differences in wind or soil quality.

It could be less sun, it could be the texture of the soil, it could be chemical unbalances due to fertilization holding your plants back. It could have been an early temperature difference, shocking your toms while his took off.

My father in law tilled my garden and did whatever he used in his garden on mine. Last year my garden did great and this year its stunted. I am sure it can be a number of things. I live in Westchester N.Y. since the season is winding down and I doubt those tomatoes will get red what should I do in the fall to prepare the garden for spring if there is such a thing to prep the soil early. If not fall then in spring what would you recommend? type of manure chicken, etc. I don't think it has to do with the sun since the earlier house owner positioned the garden in a way that made the garden flourish and this is the only stunted year of growth. Thanks

There are microclimates & variations in weather even from year to year. I know your frustration as my dad lives 15 minutes away & has faster maturity due to his warmer location.

If the tomatoes get to breaker stage (pink on blossom end or bottom) they can finish ripening indoors above 50 degrees. Keep them single layer & dry. They don't need light, just the warmth of indoors above 50 degrees. Check every few days & pick out the almost ripe ones to keep visible in the kitchen & you'll be eating tomatoes for at least a month longer indoors once the weather turns too cold outside.

In our location we always have green tomatoes to ripen indoors at the end of the season.

Here is a link that might be useful: tomato ripening stages

The season is winding down? Please do not post again until Aug. 31.

Westchester? I am here on Long Island and I know I will have tomatoes all thru August and beyond. Since when is the season winding down in July? Tomato production here is in full gear and I am picking every day.

Sorry I didn't mean season winding down I was jsut depressed that the tomatoes are all green and my FIL down the street has redder then red same varieties and same time of planting. I will wait till end out August to see if any turn red.

I am sure you will not have to wait that long!

tomatoes

more photos you can see a few big ones hidden

It looks like you have lots of green fruit set. Honestly, they will get ripe though I know the wait can feel like forever. Still here in the Noth Shore of Nassau county I have been picking lots and lots of ripe tomatoes already. My counter is full of them and I have had lots to give away to friends. Maybe you have some really late varieties?

But my inlaws live a few blocks away and picking red everyday and same varities he did my garden and his at the same time. That is what is so odd.

Go ahead and analyze both soils, including micronutrients concentration. It will cost you some $80. Visually compare both soils up to one foot difference. Then next year measure temperatures in both soils and in the air at both sites from May 1 till June 15. Get an idea now of what are the in-season differences in watering and fertilizing. Then come back with all the data and surely someone will help you.

Yes, really is odd if he is only a few blocks away. Are his tomatoes planted further apart to prehaps get more sun? Does he just have more sunlight in his garden than you do?

My tomatoes are very healthy and lots of green tomatoes. I plead with them please get red. A week later all of them get red and I plead at them please slow down don't get red. They never listen. Tomatoes are funny.
By the way looks like your father in law has the green thump you don't

Perhaps you should go to your FIL and say, "You know, since my tomatoes are starting later than yours, I'll probably still have them producing after yours have stopped. So why don't you give me some ripe tomatoes now, and I'll give you some when your plants stop producing?"

It may or may not be true, but it could make him share. :)

Seriously, I have the same problem here in Missouri. Lots of green, almost no red, and everyone I know is eating tomatoes but me.

The more sun tomatoes get, the quicker they turn red.
That is one reason some tomato books say prune for sunlight and airflow.
Your plants looks rather crowded.

Most years I use a dedicated tomato fertilizer, it does make a difference.
Lacking that I will use flower fertilizer rather than any nitrogen rich fertilizer.
Up here in Minn. he had a cool wet spring which caused tomatoes to just pretty much sit there, not really growing, and look green through June.
Of my tomatoes this year, the one that is the furthest along is one I planted a month after all the rest- go figure.