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Is It Too Late For Tomatoes To Ripen ?

19 years ago

I have a lot of flowers on my tomato plants and lots of green tomatoes that don't seem to be ripening anymore. Direct sun has really diminished. Will they ripen in the house ? Is it worth it ? Will the flowers there now produce or should I just pull the raggy plants ? What are you doing with yours ?

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Comments (6)

tom_crowley
19 years ago
See if they make it through the night. We won't have cold weather again for a few more weeks
jazzmom516 (Zone 6b, MA)
19 years ago
Generally with the cooling weather and lesser sunlight, the tomatoes can be removed from the vines if they are still green. Some folks ripen them on a windowsill and others ripen them with an apple inside a paper bag. The apple as it ripens releases ethylene gas which acts as a ripener to the tomatoes. I doubt that the plant will produce more fruit because of the above mentioned conditions.
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The high nighttime temperature will affect pollination of the flowers, but not the ripening of the fruit. Most tomatoes won't set fruit when it's consistently humid & hot. Hot sun on your maters will sunburn them. That's no good. And generally hot temps will cause fruit to ripen unevenly, mottled, and quality is not as good as fruit grown in the cooler months here. Sweet 100's and most cherry or currant tomatoes can handle heat much better than larger varieties, so should do alright, with moisture in the root zone, well into the summer. One thing to remember, "full sun" does not mean the same thing here in FL as it does anywhere else. A little filtering shade is best.
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User
Original Author
19 years ago
Thanks. I'll pick the green ones and try the windowsill.
nature_girl_LI
19 years ago
Give the bag a try...I do it w/o the apple & it really works well! The actual tomato needs shade to ripen. Only the leaves need sun...they shade the fruit. Good luck!
vinnyc
19 years ago
I ususally look at the blossom end of the green tomato. If it shows a little star shaped area starting to turn ripe, the tomato will ripen indoors, if it's all green still, it's fried green tomatoes or green tomato salsa.
bsg1
19 years ago
WHich is the blossom end?

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