[shokkyy]

I note that in the next few days the overnight temps are forecast to start dropping down to 6 or 7 degrees, which is getting a bit chilly. When should I start to do something about all the tender stuff, toms, peppers, chillis? How cold does it need to be before any fruit is affected? Cos I've got loads of fruit on the plants that I'm leaving as long as possible, so it can ripen naturally if possible. If temps are going to cause damage, I'll pick them and bring them indoors to finish ripening, but I don't want to do that any sooner than absolutely necessary.

[JayG]

The tender plants you mention are no doubt looking a bit knackered already as they come towards the end of their fruiting season. I usually reckon that anything less than 10C will finish them off quite quickly, particularly if sustained for any length of time.

The development of the fruits will obviously slow down as well, but should survive unless there is a frost (3-4C is low enough for a ground frost if the air is still, especially if you garden in a frost pocket.)

They will need to be protected from that, either by fleecing, picking, or moving under cover.

[aelf]

I moved my Christmas spuds into the greenhouse yesterday. A bit earlier that I had intended but the forcast is poor for the rest of the week. All my tender plants (chillies, peppers and toms) have always lived in the greenhouse but the half-hardys are going in around October.

[shokkyy]

They're all turning red now and I was so hoping for a little more time, so more would go ripe outside. I'm loathe to start picking and bringing all the green ones in (there are hundreds of them) so was hoping the fruit could stay on the plants at least till the end of September. It's going to take a lot of bananas to turn that lot red. And the long-term forecast is saying that temps will go back up to above average for time of year, going into October.

If I take the gamble and leave them on the plants, and the overnight temps go down to 4 or 5 degrees, what would actually happen to the fruit? I don't care about the plants, just the fruit. Would they go all mushy?

[aelf]

I doubt it - supermarkets store fruit at around 2 degrees whilst in transit so they should be safe. They just won't ripen.