Will I ever go red?

[tim]

This is to show that we have a long way to go - at 50F at night! - & also to show how prolific Red Debarao are. Nice shape, too! = Tim

[tim]

[tim]

Stupid question?

If you limit the number of trusses, will they ripen more quickly & reliably?
In the 40s last night! = Tim

[Hugh_Jones]

Tim, I think that this really requires John`s input.

However, for what it is worth I can tell you of the practice which I used to deal with the problem donkey`s years ago.  I always stopped my plants early in Sept on the basis that without heat fruit which set after that time were unlikely to be worth harvesting anyway.  I had previously tried reducing the number of trusses, but found that this merely resulted in the remaining fruits growing larger before ripening, but then I read (in Reuben Dorey`s Book - `Tomato Growing by Prescription`) of the  tests carried out by Fernhurst Research Station on soil suspensions and osmotic pressures in tomato plants. Admittedly these tests were carried out mainly to investigate the effects of excessive leaf transpiration, and plant control by watering, but one of the findings was that by increasing the salt (fertilizers, not NaCl) concentrations in the soil the soil pC factor would be reduced and the osmotic pressure in the plant increased, and a sufficiently increased pressure would result in fruit ripening much smaller.  Consequently, from the beginning of September I used a much higher concentration of high potash feed, and the fruit did indeed ripen smaller, although inevitably, there were always some unripened fruits when the house had to be cleared and fumigated for the winter plants.

I shudder to think what John will say if he reads this, but it`s the best I can do.

[john_miller]

I was always under the impression that ripening per se  is affected more by temperature than anything else. I never could understand the advice about topping out plants accelerating ripening although it could affect fruit size too I imagine. How about collecting apples Tim and bombing the house with ethylene? If you are letting the house get that cold you will probably have many problems with ripening disorders, such as grey wall, for the rest of the season so ethylene may be your best choice (although I wouldn't call it ripening, more accelerating a colour change).
Shuddering over Hugh?

[tim]

Worth waiting for. Thanks both.

Too late to stop them - as you can see, I have let some go to 12' or so!! But our store of Bramleys will go in there today.

'Letting' it get cold, John?? Everything's shut as tight as can be. And no heat, of course. I'll report back. = Tim

Later - OK, apples in. But since I can't just up the potash, I've just doubled the jet size. Take it or leave it!!

[Mrs Ava]

Well according to Monty on GW, our toms in the greenhouse have another whole month to think about turning red.  I still have soooooooo many that are green.  I don't know what I did wrong, but I can see a huge vat of green tom chutney being made in about 6 weeks time!

[john_miller]

Er, Tim, you do realise that if you put your apples in the greenhouse they will go soft quickly in the daytime heat? I should have said use seconds, windfalls or any others you can't store.
EJ-  There is very little you could have done that will have affected the quantity of green tomatoes you still have. It is all phenological.

[tim]

John - yes, I had second thoughts & put windfalls & surplus, non-storable eaters in.

Emma - nothing wrong, I reckon. Just a poor year for many of us. Let's have a competition for the greatest weight of green ones we have to deal with eventually?

Don't forget fried green toms. Delicious! And the cherry ones pickle well. =  Tim

[aquilegia]

Emma - not you - bad year for toms.

I'm leaving mine on my plants for another couple of weeks. Being in greater London, I figure I can take the risk.

And anyway, I don't have any more room to put them to ripen. I already have four dinner plates covered in them in the kitchen, with tea towels on top. There's no more room until they ripen.

Tim - I will weigh mine - must be pounds and pounds!

[tim]

Don't know whether it's the apples, the extra K or,  as someone else has observed, a sudden panic to ripen before it's too late. But things are still hopeful, & today's pick was better than most. Still 46F at night though. The pink ones are Rose de Berne. = Tim

[Doris_Pinks]

Ohh Tim I am wildly jealous! ;)  Glad they are doing what they were supposed to, it would have been maddening to have em all stay green!They look lovely, I can almost smell them ;D DP

[aquilegia]

I found another three blighted plants the other day and picked all the toms off them. I ended up filling a builder's bucket with green tomatoes! I now have so many rippen in the kitchen that there isn't any room to cook. Mr Aqui thought the out-of-use kitchen would only be in spring when I turn it into a greenhouse!

Fried green tomatoes anyone?

[tim]

Love them! = Tim

[Pixie]

I had to grow mine outside - no greenhouse - and they are still green  :( any hope? any suggestions?

Sam

[tim]

See the basics thread, Sam. = Tim

[Pixie]

Cheers Tim  ;D

[tim]

How about the chillies, then? = Tim

[Mrs Ava]

Don't know about red Tim, what about yellow, brown and orange!

[tim]

Like it! = Tim

[tim]

I seem to remember suggesting a prize for the most green toms.

Only just realised - depends on how many plants you have, & where they are grown, & would be unfair.

All I can say is that that's it - on the one out, all out thread. The toms are out (of the greenhouse) now. John M's idea that they ripen better (more sugar) indoors, & the fact that the blighty/mouldy whatever is spreading at a rate of knots, prompted me to go the whole hog.

In doing so, I find great pleasure in the pristine green fruit. Almost more so than with the red. Like Busy Lizzie's bowl - especially with the plummy types in there. Have to say that much of this is my own fault. For instance, grew one Red Debarao on 2 stems - to about 12' - & the trusses at the 8' level are carrying up to 15 fruit!! No wonder they were not ripening. = Tim


Ripe 5.75lb - halfway 12lb - green 25lb.