tI had my first un-named a couple of days ago, wonderfully sweet and delicious. I grow Gardeners Delight, in between cherry and normal. My un named is because I had a few left over packets of various seeds, given as presents. Just used them up randomly, didn't pot them on fully, they are on the floor of the green house in small pots standing in seed trays to assist in watering. I found a tiny red tomato hiding amongst the leaves so pick it and popped in my mouth. Mmmmm. The Gardeners Delight have only just set their first fruit because I was so late sowing them, but they are coming away now.
Any chance, when the time comes, of rigging up a mini-greenhouse? A basic frame wrapped in bubble wrap or similar? Toms will still improve on the vine, albeit more slowly, down to about 15C. Below that, you'd be better off taking them inside to ripen in a warm spot. They won't need sunlight to ripen, just warmth.
EDIT. It just occurred to me. You see these mini-greenhouses all over Italy. I have one I use for toms after their first transplant when they need light and warmth, when there's plenty of sun outside but it's very cold.
I assume a version of similar is available in the UK. They come in different sizes, several of them large enough to house a couple of pots. They don't cost a lot, easy to erect, and you disassemble and store them away in winter.
Hi Womble yellow toms looking good, We are waiting for these to ripen, Indigo Ruby taste unknown, I have to say pretty as they are, I like my carrots orange my beans green and my toms RED. We have never tried suckering toms OH always pricks out shoots but if you already have 2nd truss as long as first frost is lateyou could get another yield.As Italophile suggested, could try one of the small temp plastic greenhouses. We had an allotment with toms outside, always had late ripe into August/ sept. If not green tomato chutney tasty.
Tomatoes do not do well outside in the UK because potato blight ruins the fruit just as it is ripening. No idea if that is the case in Italy. A plastic mini greenhouse would seem a very good idea. You could alternatively cut the trusses off, put them in an old drawer or similar and put them under the bed to ripen, slowly but eventually.
"Blight" has become a generic term for tomato diseases. There are two forms of genuine blight - Early and Late. Early is the most common, yet its symptoms are very similar to other fungal issues; Late isn't often found in the home garden unless someone has a diseased potato crop nearby.
Early blight isn't a death sentence for the plant. Removing affected leaves as soon as they appear will keep the plant producing healthy fruit. It takes a long time for Early blight, left unchecked, to affect the fruit. Late blight, on the other hand, is a death sentence and will affect the fruit.
Growing outdoors does expose plants to spores carrying disease, they travel on the breeze. On the other hand, they can invade a greenhouse via an open door or ventilator and the closed environment can be a disease incubator.
I suppose the bottom line is that you take your chances however you grow your toms.
I have green tomatoes on my Alicante for over 4 weeks no sign of ripening whatsoever. The tomatoes are fully developed and look healthy they are a pale green but not one has any pink tinging. This is my first time ever I have had a ripening problem with tomatoes. I have been growing them for years without any problem. Although I don't usually grow ~Alicante.
I live UK south and temperatures have been extremely hot 29C and over some days, I have all tomato plants outside except one in the greenhouse, the alicante I bought while my ones grown from seed were still strengthening up. I've had to water the plants 3 times a day, I am beginning to wonder if the alicante will ever ripen. I have been feeding every other or 2nd day.
I am thinking about giving an epsom salt feed. what do others think? What dilutions have you used successful.
I have a sneaky feeling that given more time your tomatoes will suddenly ripen almost overnight and you will be submerged in ripe fruit. They are beginning to ripen if they are pale green. Just a little more patience is required along with sun and water. If the trusses are all set and fully developed have you removed some of the leaves to let the sun reach the fruit? I am not sure that extra feeding will speed up ripening, maybe someone else knows to the contrary.
Jade, they will ripen in those temperatures. Give them time. As Joyce says, that they have moved to light green meaning the process has started. Nothing you can give them will aid ripening anyway. They don't even need direct sunlight, just warmth. I would also stop feeding them. It's a waste of fertiliser at this stage. Their growing is done, now a chemical process takes over.
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tI had my first un-named a couple of days ago, wonderfully sweet and delicious. I grow Gardeners Delight, in between cherry and normal. My un named is because I had a few left over packets of various seeds, given as presents. Just used them up randomly, didn't pot them on fully, they are on the floor of the green house in small pots standing in seed trays to assist in watering. I found a tiny red tomato hiding amongst the leaves so pick it and popped in my mouth. Mmmmm. The Gardeners Delight have only just set their first fruit because I was so late sowing them, but they are coming away now.
As you say, that first one cannot be beaten.
Must .... be ..... patient!
I cloned/rooted a few suckers from my money makers and Alicante (more to see if it would work than anything else).
They’re growing nicely, second truss just coming in, I’ve potted them onto to bigger pots.
I fear they may be a bit late to get a crop from them and I’m not blessed with a greenhouse. Any suggestions to get a late harvest of toms?
EDIT. It just occurred to me. You see these mini-greenhouses all over Italy. I have one I use for toms after their first transplant when they need light and warmth, when there's plenty of sun outside but it's very cold.
I assume a version of similar is available in the UK. They come in different sizes, several of them large enough to house a couple of pots. They don't cost a lot, easy to erect, and you disassemble and store them away in winter.
Early blight isn't a death sentence for the plant. Removing affected leaves as soon as they appear will keep the plant producing healthy fruit. It takes a long time for Early blight, left unchecked, to affect the fruit. Late blight, on the other hand, is a death sentence and will affect the fruit.
Growing outdoors does expose plants to spores carrying disease, they travel on the breeze. On the other hand, they can invade a greenhouse via an open door or ventilator and the closed environment can be a disease incubator.
I suppose the bottom line is that you take your chances however you grow your toms.
I live UK south and temperatures have been extremely hot 29C and over some days, I have all tomato plants outside except one in the greenhouse, the alicante I bought while my ones grown from seed were still strengthening up. I've had to water the plants 3 times a day, I am beginning to wonder if the alicante will ever ripen. I have been feeding every other or 2nd day.
I am thinking about giving an epsom salt feed. what do others think? What dilutions have you used successful.
Hope someone can help.