Topic: Another question about Tomatoes

[Moggle]

At what point weather wise does it become completely daft to leave toms on the plants? Plants are Santa, and are in growbags on my 2nd floor balcony, which is set in to the building, and has a roof. So I assume plants are protected from complete frost. Plants overhanging this are starting to look a bit brown and worse for wear (I assume from cold winds), but plants by the walls of the flat seem to be ok still. Toms are ripening still, although a little slowly.

I just want to get maximum flavour and ripening, before I have to bring them all indoors.

Thanks all

[tim]

We shall be picking ours in the cold 'house for some time. It really boils down to do you want to care for them outside or just chuck 'em in a box in the kitchen?? You won't notice much difference in flavour a this time. We've virtually stopped watering. = Tim

[Mrs Ava]

I am still picking mine from my currently unheated, altho now lagged with bubble wrap, greenhouse.  Lots to go, and I am rather pleased to say, I am not going to be left with many green ones!  My chillies all came in a week ago, into my heated conservatory, and the sudden colour change in some was amazing! Overnight I had reds yellows and oranges.  Mind you, also had greenfly!  Pah!!

I shall leave mine to their own devices in the greenhouse. ;D

[john_miller]

Even though they will still ripen above freezing their are various ripening disorders associated with cool temperatures. These tend to leave them looking somewhat unattractive, and they won't sugar up either, so you may be better picking them and ripening them inside.

[tim]

Another bit of learning.

Don't like the idea of losing out on the sugar, but where the hell can one store - in our case - a possible 1/2 cwt of toms!! Greenhouse temp last night was 40F. Would it make any significant difference if they were put into an unheated barn at 45F? = Tim

[aquilegia]

I was thinking about my tomatoes yesterday. Considering how much I've lost to blight I didn't think it was too bad that I had about 20 pounds. But considering that I had 40 plants, that's only 1/2 pound per plant.

I've picked all mine (outdoors) and they are ripening in the kitchen (on four dinner plates and a big tray, covered in tea towels. I'm still finding several blighted ones when I check them daily. It's most depressing.

[tim]

Don't know how you cope outdoors - we have enough problem under cover. = Tim

[Moggle]

Thanks for the tips everyone.  :)

I guess it looks like I may as well harvest as soon as I get a few spare minutes.

[aquilegia]

Tim - it's simple, I don't have room for a greenhouse! I think I might try ferline next year.

[ina]

Ferlines.
This year, for the first time, we harvested tomatoes into Oktober!
Normally by august all my plants would have collapsed from blight but now, I am still bringing home some ripe tomtoes from the lottie.

I know it sounds like a commercial for Ferlines.
O.K. they are not immune to blight but they really are resistant. Even some affected plants survived by just clipping the sick leaves off, while normally, that would have been the beginning of a quick end, a kiss of death for all plants.
Two plants bit the dust because there were blight patches on the stems and I didn't want to take a chance, since I couldn't cut it off I discarded the whole plant.