Tomatoes won't redden!

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DHM

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Tomatoes won't redden!
« on: August 14, 2018, 05:45 »
Maybe I'm a bit premature/unduly impatient but I have 12 tomato plants absolutely full of large tomatoes which just will not ripen! I've had 6 fruits off the Super Marmande and maybe 4 or 5 off the Roma, yet both plants are otherwise still choc full of large green toms which are the size they were a month ago but still green. The Moneymakers, San Marzano and gardeners delight are full of large green fruits, also as large and green as they were a month ago.

I've pruned away the leaves covering the trusses, and stem leaves up to the first truss, pinched out the side shoots amd cut the top growth so lots of air and light are getting to them. I've supported heavy branches and watered profusely during the hot spell.

The only problem they have is that they've grown bushy rather than tall this year but that wouldnt prevent the toms from ripening would it?

Is this lengthy green stage normal or am I doing something wrong?!

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JayG

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Re: Tomatoes won't redden!
« Reply #1 on: August 14, 2018, 08:51 »
Hmm...bush types tend to produce and ripen their fruit over a shorter timespan than cordons - it's also variety-dependent so doesn't necessarily mean earlier than cordons, which produce and ripen trusses in sequence as they grow upwards.

You don't seem to have done much wrong, although it's possible that growing one or two of your cordons more like bushes has resulted in fewer early ripeners.

Doesn't really matter - the plants are healthy and laden with fruit - be patient and then brace yourself!  ;)
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mumofstig

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Re: Tomatoes won't redden!
« Reply #2 on: August 14, 2018, 09:42 »
Cherry tomatoes tend to ripen early, the others naturally ripen later, some of them a lot later, especially varieties like San Marzano which was always last to ripen here  :( I don't grow it any more for that reason)

You say you've
Quote
cut the top growth
- I hope you've left some growing leaves above the top truss, to keep sap rising.
Quote
Standard-sized tomatoes take 20 to 30 days from blossom set to reach full size–commonly called “mature green”; they take another 20 to 30 days to ripen, that is begin to change color.
https://harvesttotable.com/how_to_ripen_tomatoes_on_the_v/

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DHM

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Re: Tomatoes won't redden!
« Reply #3 on: August 14, 2018, 10:05 »
Cherry tomatoes tend to ripen early, the others naturally ripen later, some of them a lot later, especially varieties like San Marzano which was always last to ripen here  :( I don't grow it any more for that reason)

You say you've
Quote
cut the top growth
- I hope you've left some growing leaves above the top truss, to keep sap rising.
Quote
Standard-sized tomatoes take 20 to 30 days from blossom set to reach full size–commonly called “mature green”; they take another 20 to 30 days to ripen, that is begin to change color.
https://harvesttotable.com/how_to_ripen_tomatoes_on_the_v/

I only cut the very growing tips off, plenty of leafage above the top trusses.

I intended to grow them as cordons but they stopped growing upwards and started bushing out, which I put down to the odd weather; The 4 plants started in the shade look a lot more like they should, upright and less leafy.

I'm thinking of ditching the San Marzanos too next year, this is the 1st time I've grown them in the ground having attempted many times to grow them in bags without great yields. They just don't measure up against other varieties to my mind.

According to those timings they shouldn't be far off then, I'll simmer down and wait some more!

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missmoneypenny

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Re: Tomatoes won't redden!
« Reply #4 on: August 14, 2018, 11:43 »
Where are you in the country? Have you been affected by the heatwave? I’m in London and my tomatoes are the same. I thought that due to the abundance of sunshine this year they’d  all be bright red by now, but the opposite has happened. They are mostly still green ( outdoor grown). I read on a US site that excess sun delays ripening ( ironically). That’s obviously not usually a problem in Blighty. They advise cutting while green, bringing indoors and leaving somewhere shaded eg in your kitchen. I tried it and it works. It takes about 2-3 days for them to turn red. I have Black Russian, ferline  and brandywine. The flavour is just as good.

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DHM

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Re: Tomatoes won't redden!
« Reply #5 on: August 14, 2018, 11:54 »
Where are you in the country? Have you been affected by the heatwave? I’m in London and my tomatoes are the same. I thought that due to the abundance of sunshine this year they’d  all be bright red by now, but the opposite has happened. They are mostly still green ( outdoor grown). I read on a US site that excess sun delays ripening ( ironically). That’s obviously not usually a problem in Blighty. They advise cutting while green, bringing indoors and leaving somewhere shaded eg in your kitchen. I tried it and it works. It takes about 2-3 days for them to turn red. I have Black Russian, ferline  and brandywine. The flavour is just as good.

Yeah, the Sussex coast so we've had some blistering hot sunshine too. Must be what's caused our toms to behave oddly! I might try bringing a green truss or two home to test ripening on the windowsill.

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Aidy

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Re: Tomatoes won't redden!
« Reply #6 on: August 14, 2018, 16:19 »
I had this problem in mine was also hanging green for ages, again heard about the sun, tried the old trick of hanging banana skins up in th greenhouse, coincidnce? Not sure but hey they ripened fairly soon after! and now a greenhouse full of ripe toms.
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mumofstig

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Re: Tomatoes won't redden!
« Reply #7 on: August 14, 2018, 16:51 »
Could also have been the extra few days you gave them  :unsure:

 :wub:

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oldgrunge

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Re: Tomatoes won't redden!
« Reply #8 on: August 14, 2018, 20:34 »
Think it's probably the hot weather. Mine were slow until about a week ago, now it's cooled down a lot, they're starting to ripen.
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