Allotments 4 All

Produce => Edible Plants => Topic started by: Annadl on December 23, 2005, 00:42:34

Title: Harvesting tomatoes
Post by: Annadl on December 23, 2005, 00:42:34
Hello everyone

Some of the ripe tomatoes I have been harvesting have been difficult to pull off the plant.  I end up leaving the 'end bit' on the plant and having a hole in my tomato.  Shouldn't they be easy to come off when they are ready?  They're still fine to eat though.

Thanks for any replies.

Anna
Title: Re: Harvesting tomatoes
Post by: djbrenton on December 23, 2005, 01:03:42
Some varieties aren't weak at the calyx and can be hard to remove. If they're red they're ready so use secateurs if you want to avoid the problem.
Title: Re: Harvesting tomatoes
Post by: Derekthefox on December 23, 2005, 08:37:44
I have often found rotating them weakens the stem/calyx and makes then easier to remove. Secateurs, scissors or a knife don't seem a problem though for domestic quantities ...

Derekthefox
Title: Re: Harvesting tomatoes
Post by: Svea on December 23, 2005, 08:55:39
yes i kind of twist them off the stem, too
Title: Re: Harvesting tomatoes
Post by: tim on December 23, 2005, 09:44:54
Agree with dj.
Title: Re: Harvesting tomatoes
Post by: jennym on December 23, 2005, 17:49:19
Yes I agree with dj too, some varieties are easy, some are hard, snip off the hard ones.
Title: Re: Harvesting tomatoes
Post by: Mrs Ava on December 23, 2005, 18:01:19
I find the cherries the easiest to fall from the stem and the beefsteaks almost impossible to shift!
Title: Re: Harvesting tomatoes
Post by: cleo on December 24, 2005, 12:28:55
Yep-snip them. Stephan wanders off thinking of the possums that eat the last lot of plants someone grew from the seeds he sent >:(