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Posted by collperson (U13806187) on Sunday, 8th August 2010
Is anyone else suffering like me from loads of green tomatoes which don't seem to want to ripen? I am in the damp west coast of Scotland, and last year was picking loads in July. There are plenty of them and they are in a greenhouse, but nothing seems to happen. Am I going to suffer a tomato disaster, or shall I just wait?
Hi collperson, I've been picking tomatoes for a few weeks now but every year it's the same. I grow mine outside so when the first frost warning is issued all the green tomatoes get picked and put in the cold room. Of course they are not as tasty as vine ripened but I'm still getting ripe tomatoes out of the cold room in Dec.
Hi collperson, this year the tomatoes are late, the only tomato I have pick so far is the Garden Pearl but today as the sun is shinning I can see my big Russians tomatoes are starting to have a little color which shows the sign of ripening. Hopefully in a few days time I will be able to start harvesting them, I am in the SE
Hello Collperson.
I remember this problem cropped up on the Beechgrove Garden and Carol Baxter said it was due to have far too many tomatoes on each truss and advised removing a few.
I hope that helps some.
i most say your not the only one. i live in bristol and we have loads of green tomotos but none red. although some are starting to go red!
I live in the South of Scotland and I've had ripe tomates for more than ten days now, apart from a few extra large ones on the lower trusses that won't ripen evenly.
We did have a very sunny and dry May and June here though.
It also helps if you grow a quick ripening variety such as Sungold, which is always the first variety to ripen with me.
my tomatoes are in sunny Dorest but so far I've had a single red cherry and that was from a plant i didn't have room for in the greenhouse or patio at home and stuck into a window box on the allotment shed! Come back sun - we need you!
I'm glad I'm not the only one. I've got loads inside and out and we've had great sunny weather this year in Essex , BUT still not a red one in sight!
Same here. I'm in Essex too and and just starting to see a hint of red on a couple of tomatoes on my hundreds and millions in the greenhouse and one of my outdoor girl plants. I have found the most frustrating thing in the last couple of weeks have been tomatoes rotting on the plant and even had a squash do the same. Never happy with the amount of rain!!!
I am also in Essex and have been getting enough red tomatoes from the greenhouse to have salad a couple of times a week for 2 weeks now, so take heart, they will ripen. Nan x
I`ve had some of my tumbling toms but not off my moneymaker, shirley or gardeners delight. I live in the NW but can see that some of them are lightening in colour so fingers crossed they start to ripen soon.
From six plants in the g/h (four different varieties) I have one ripe cherry tomato and one ripe standard tomato. All the rest are green. The salad season is going to be a little late.
Mine are certainly much later this year (I'm in London) but I've just started to pick ripe fruit from my Gardener's Delight, and my Italian cherry toms are just on the turn. Have faith, your time will come!
Thank you, everyone, for your sympathy and support. I am pleased to say that following my angst the next day I picked two ripe tomatoes (little ones) and today another seven. So for all of those whose tomatoes aren't ripening, my advice is: put a angst-ridden message on the message board and it will probably do the trick.
Has anyone resorted to hanging ripe bananas in the green house??? anything is worth a try I suppose or its the dreaded green tomato chutney for me..........does anyone have any other good uses for green tomatoes?
, in reply to message 16.
Posted by sparklepinksunflower (U10977805) on Monday, 9th August 2010
I ate my first golden nugget yesterday adn to be honest is was not nearly as sweet as last year
all the others are still a long way off being ripe. Glad everyone else seems to be pretty behind too, not just my gardening skills
I am in London so normally I am weeks ahead of where I am now
Picked my 2cnd Gardeners Delight today. It's usually faster than this, but then we've not had much sun up here this year.
Sungold regularly producing as are the Tumbling Tom. All 3 in an un-heated greenhouse.
Have already resigned myself to chutney this year.
Surprisingly have a lot of peppers ripening in same greenhouse, but must 'stop' the plants as any more just wont have chance, even at this stage of the season. J.
I'm having the same experience - my Garden Pearl are the only ones that are getting ripe, though some of the hundreds and thousands are just starting to turn. Last year I Left my Gardeners Delight out till it completely died and in the end every single tomato ripened.
I'm assuming because it was so much colder earlier in the year than normal that everything will be later this year. I'm hoping that is the case anyway, because my cabbages haven't started hearting up yet and I had such success with them last year that I will be most miffed if they come to nothing this year.
I do not understand why you are all complaining about poor ripening of your Toms - what are you doing, or more likely, not doing.
This year I am growing Moneymaker - yes I know it is old but with a little salt, black pepper and olive oil, they are fantastic, I am also growing Goumet which has a wonderful flavour without the extras.
I have been picking ripe fruit from the Moneymaker since early June and Gourmet since early July. Granted I heat the GH from April through to mid May (depending on the outside temperature which must be at least 55 degrees for fruit to grow and ripen. The GH temperature is kept at about 60 degrees day and night Feeding begins after the first truss has set and weekly after that.
I am only an amateur not a professional and grow more for the fun of it than the large crop I have each year - I have 5 Moneymaker and 2 Gourmet. I have no disease or problems with any of the plants or fruit.
I live in Cheshire so I am not talking about the Med or the Tropics!
I'm in NW London and all my toms are late this year too - they are beginning to ripen, but very slowly.
, in reply to message 21.
Posted by 4smilingcat6 (U14338727) on Tuesday, 10th August 2010
I cannot see the worry-it`s August not the dead of winter
My outdoor ones are just getting to the size they should be and will be ripe by early September
There is definitely a delay. I have grown the same ones for a few years in the same place at the same time. This is the first year the plants haven't grown in quite the same way and the fruit is struggling. I have picked 2 tomatoes last week with the rest seeming to be very long in ripening. I certainly won't have the glut of last year and if this cooler wet weather continues the plant won't produce anywhere near as much as they would in a late summer.
I think most things are late this year, its been a funny year.
Whatsthemarrow...
, in reply to message 24.
Posted by martingodliman (U13761957) on Wednesday, 11th August 2010
They do seem a bit late I've had few cherry tomatoes and if my 100s & 1000s had been 100s & 100s ( possibly I've mentioned that issue before !! )
The larger varieties Avirio, Brandywine and Ferline are just starting to redden this past week.
I live in London and my impression is we have had plenty enough sunshine....but I dunno I haven't been at it long enough yet just a few years.
I'm just thankful to have escaped blight second year running......so far.
Mine seem to be getting going a bit more with the ripening now. Only had a couple of little handfuls of Sungold to go with a ham sandwich so far, but a good deal more seem to be under way now even a couple of Beefsteak ones seem to be showing hope, and I'm figuring we still have all of August and September's not usually such a bad month too.
This is my 2nd year growing in Wiltshire and the garden faces north east - so I'm still getting used to the difference from my London south facing suntrap.
I suppose patience will have to be the thing...
, in reply to message 25.
Posted by springfieldbean (U14520014) on Wednesday, 11th August 2010
What to do with green toms - well in America they eat them fried - an American friend:
"Slice them, put some salt (on both sides) & let the "juices" rise a bit, "roll" them in corn meal and fry them in hot oil. Some people dip them in egg before breading them with corn meal...works either way really."
Apparently delicious, though I've not tried it yet. Still reckon mine will turn red!
gd morning bigolob, im growing moneymaker and its my 1st year of growing my own and iv`e just had the 1st of them the others are turning but slowly,i live in the NE.i would be very interested to find out which are the best toms to grow for flavour etc, obviously im now talking about next year.kind regards chris
, in reply to message 27.
Posted by John Moodie (U14353581) on Wednesday, 11th August 2010
Hi springfieldbean, we eat fried green toms in Canada as well. Your American friend is right, they're great that way. I tried them a few years ago when I asked my mom, who is from Nebraska, what I should do with my green toms.
, in reply to message 29.
Posted by sweettweet (U14258914) on Wednesday, 11th August 2010
I was only saying yesterday - when should they ripen. You've all given me hope. I have made chutney with green toms before and quite liked it ... but I'd feel more satisfaction to get some ripe ones!
sweettweet
aka auntshiela ( I have changed my name - in readingess for the new foodboard)
For those resigned to green tomatoes, I found an amazing recipe for green tomato marmalade, made with lots of lemons and absolutely delicious. Can't remember where the recipe came from but I suspect from the BBc cooking page.
Mine are starting to ripen at last but I still have a lot of green ones though they are getting more yellow than dark green. Fingers crossed that I manage to ripen a lot of them.
Mine are all outdoors so I suppose they are a lot slower anyway.
The good weather this coming weekend should be a big help if the weather men are correct.
Take heart Sue, mine are in unheated gh with door and vent permanently open, last week I was picking about 6 every day, this week I can't eat them quickly enough, getting about a dozen ripe every day. Nan x
I hope the weather men are correct Sue! My tomato plants are nowhere near as big as other years....and the yield is down too. I have had quite a few ripe ones and yesterday picked off all those that are orange. I know the flavour won't be the same but I'm hoping to encourage the rest to ripen. We have put a lot of banana skins down,hmm, not sure if it will help.
I think I'll try the fried green tomato.
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