WHEN will they ever ripen?

[NamastePlatypus]

I have had green tomatos for over a month I swear, and NOTHING is turning! ( I have white tomatoes, ferris wheel, fox cherry, purple russian.) Any advice? Oh and my melons, how do I know when they are ready? ( Tigger, crane, sun star and moons)

[lmonter]

The Purple Russians will come, just be patient. I don't think I had my first one until at least mid-August last year. But I have a somewhat short growing season here, possibly even shorter if we end up moving north.

[LeahBoo]

Tomatoes are rude like that. Mine have been full sized, ready to turn forever. About the time you're ready to give up, what's that? a little color? Then BOOM, tomato overload. You'll wonder why you were ever worried about them in the first place.

I think mine are waiting to ripen until this weekend, since I'll be away.

[melanienader]

Originally Posted by LeahBoo

I think mine are waiting to ripen until this weekend, since I'll be away.

That's exactly what mine are doing!!

[NamastePlatypus]

Originally Posted by LeahBoo

Tomatoes are rude like that. Mine have been full sized, ready to turn forever. About the time you're ready to give up, what's that? a little color? Then BOOM, tomato overload. You'll wonder why you were ever worried about them in the first place.

I think mine are waiting to ripen until this weekend, since I'll be away.

yep sounds right to me!
By the way, I am a Leah too and Boo is the nickname we all use for each other in my family, and Bert and Bean and Willy... :

[Teenytoona]

Originally Posted by NamastePlatypus

yep sounds right to me!
By the way, I am a Leah too and Boo is the nickname we all use for each other in my family, and Bert and Bean and Willy... :

I'm a Leah as well.

Hi Leahs! Nice to meet you!

[LeahBoo]

Hi Leah's. I'm not actually a Leah, though. I'm a Dawn. I don't have kids yet, so my username is a combination of my dogs names . Leah (australian kelpie) and Buddha (dachshund).

[limette]

It has something to do with the changing seasons, shorter days or cooler temps. One or the other signals the tomatoes to ripen.

[NamastePlatypus]

Originally Posted by Teenytoona

I'm a Leah as well.

Hi Leahs! Nice to meet you!

We were in the same due date club!

[Contrariety]

My research tells me it's just too hot where I live for my tomatoes to ripen yet... I've probably got another month or so before they really come on good, but when they do... oh, boy! I've got loads of green ones just waiting. First item of business when they do: salsa!

[StephandOwen]

They'll ripen up when you turn your head... just in time for the d*mn bird to snag them before you do. The bird seems to like my cherry tomatoes this year and is eating them as they ripen! It also ate my 2 tiny watermelons! I picked the last orange cherry tomato before the bird got that too. I'll have to figure out what to do before the other tomatoes ripen...

[Carrie Posey]

I am waiting too! TONS of green tomatoes, I am thinking of making some fried green tomatoes! Just for the satisfaction of eating them!

[NamastePlatypus]

Originally Posted by Contrariety

My research tells me it's just too hot where I live for my tomatoes to ripen yet... I've probably got another month or so before they really come on good, but when they do... oh, boy! I've got loads of green ones just waiting. First item of business when they do: salsa!

Well that would make sense it has been ungodly hot here, the past week it is finally down in the eighties so i will keep my eyes peeled!

Originally Posted by StephandOwen

They'll ripen up when you turn your head... just in time for the d*mn bird to snag them before you do. The bird seems to like my cherry tomatoes this year and is eating them as they ripen! It also ate my 2 tiny watermelons! I picked the last orange cherry tomato before the bird got that too. I'll have to figure out what to do before the other tomatoes ripen...

Damn catipiller got to a bunch of my pinks and purples!!! JUST as the bottoms were changing!!!!!!

WHy aare they splitting up the sides?

[Owen'nZoe]

Originally Posted by NamastePlatypus

WHy aare they splitting up the sides?

Oh bummer! Usually, it is an issue with uneven watering. If the water is drying out between waterings, and the plant is going through periods where it is getting too little water, then too much. Mulch helps, drip irrigation helps, buying less succeptible varieties helps. I always end up with some that split - I just pare away the split parts and use the rest.

[NamastePlatypus]

Thank you! I water everyday at the same time...I will try mulch, I was going to get some with some bloodmeal this week.


How do I know when sun star and moon melons are ripe?

[Jyotsna]

Cherry tomatoes...

Also having ripening problem, and other problem is the number of tiny new tomatoes that re just coming on....how will they ever ripen if it will take 4 weeks to grow to full size?

[librarybooks]

i have a hundred dozen green tomatoes too (well, it seems that way). i read that if you are watering too much they might not ripen because it doesnt seem "urgent" but cutting back on watering will stress them enough to go "uh oh! better hurry up and make prolific seeds" this is counterintuitive to even watering (to avoid cracking) so i don't know, i guess it is a balance. this is my first year in this zone, so i'm kind of making it up as i go.

[ABrez]

My middle name is Leah. Can I play?

Here in Ohio my tomatoes aren't ripe yet either. I was just talking with a neighbor and we were speculating that it just hasn't gotten hot enough for enough days yet? I get a hand full of cherry tomatoes every day, Just enough for dd to have a snack, lol.

[tankgirl73]

My middle name is Lee... lol...

I have one Roma tomato plant with tons of big green tomatoes. This plant, I bought from the farmer's market.

The ones I grew from seed -- Roma, San Marzano, and an heirloom indeterminate paste -- are also doing really well, but because I almost killed them when hardening off they're a few weeks "behind" the other. But one of the heirloom plants has a few babies, and all the plants have lots of flowers now.

So the only remaining question is, will they still have enough time to grow and ripen.

Interesting about the cooler weather being the 'trigger' to ripen. Also about lack of water -- it's the wettest summer on record here, we actually had two days in a row of sun last week and it was like... whaaaa????

[notwonamesalike]

I also have tons of little tomatoes, not much happening in the ripening department.

We have a tomato jungle.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3435/...68e746fdf3.jpg

There are at least 20 plants in my square foot garden. Craziness.