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Temporary greenhouse?

ManderMander Posts: 349
in Fruit & veg
I have several tomato plants in pots that have plenty of tomatoes on them, but they are all still pure green and nowhere near ripening. As the weather is hinting at turning even cooler I'm wondering if it would be worth rigging up some kind of temporary greenhouse for them. Would it work if I used a combination of sticks and something like a plastic drop cloth to erect a shelter around them? 
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  • Blue OnionBlue Onion Posts: 2,995
    Cover them at night when the temps drop to below 13C or so.. you can use a plastic sheet as long as you can take it off first thing in the morning.. otherwise use a fleece or an old duvet cover or such.  The heat from the ground below will keep it a bit warmer than surrounded uncovered areas.. so I sort of tent mine over with a wider base laying along the ground to keep more heat in the space.  When it's predicted to frost, you can pull up the entire plant from the roots and hang it upside down in the garage or somewhere frost free.  The fruit will continue to ripen on the vine and the leaves will provide a last dying burst of energy to ripen the fruit.  You can also cut off the fruit on the vine if it's fully formed but still green or greenish.. and put it in a box in your kitchen.  I did that last fall and got a number of meals from box ripened cherry tomatoes.
    Utah, USA.
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    I'd have thought it would be difficult to grow them outdoors at all in your location @Mander. Not possible to do it here. Night time temps get too low, too early on, and often day time figs are low too, just when you're hoping for growth and ripening. Too much rain/wind through summer as well here. Not helpful for tomatoes at all.

    Perhaps you'll need to think about getting a small greenhouse. I got one of those little polycarbonate ones a few years ago, as I don't really have room for a full sized greenhouse. It's not perfect, but it allows the protection they need. Not big enough for many plants, and not very tall, but fine for the cherry toms.  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • TopbirdTopbird Posts: 8,355
    Typical isn't it? We had record breaking hot temps which brought the toms on a treat - lots ripening on the plant. Then, just before they were ready to pick we had a shed load of rain which (after a droughty summer) caused many of the to fruits split. Now it's gone very cold (for the time of year) so I'm also wondering if the green fruits will ever go red....

    On the plus side I have 5 batches of tomato sauce in the freezer ready for pastas and pizzas which were made with split fruits. I also have Delia's recipe for green tomato sauce which apparently goes well with sausages...

    I refuse to make green tomato chutney which lurks in the cupboard for 3 years before being binned. Might try a recipe for green tomato fritters though.
    Heaven is ... sitting in the garden with a G&T and a cat while watching the sun go down
  • TheScottishGardenerTheScottishGardener Posts: 62
    Topbird said:
    Typical isn't it? We had record breaking hot temps which brought the toms on a treat - lots ripening on the plant. Then, just before they were ready to pick we had a shed load of rain which (after a droughty summer) caused many of the to fruits split. Now it's gone very cold (for the time of year) so I'm also wondering if the green fruits will ever go red....

    On the plus side I have 5 batches of tomato sauce in the freezer ready for pastas and pizzas which were made with split fruits. I also have Delia's recipe for green tomato sauce which apparently goes well with sausages...

    I refuse to make green tomato chutney which lurks in the cupboard for 3 years before being binned. Might try a recipe for green tomato fritters though.
    Exactly what has happened here too, I bravely planted mines out a little while back when we had lots of sun and warm weather, it was great and the plant came on leaps and bounds.

    Now I too am wondering if these fruits will ever ripen and contemplating potting it back up and moving into my wee greenhouse already.
  • ManderMander Posts: 349
    It's frustrating because I started the plants in plenty of time in the little plastic greenhouse and they grew so fast and huge that they got too big for it. I put them in big pots and now they are enormous with plenty of flowers and some fruit, but then we've had cloudy weather almost all summer. It's the first time I've tried tomatoes so perhaps it's just not meant to be. 
  • TopbirdTopbird Posts: 8,355
    Some years ago we had a regular poster on this forum who grew loads of tomatoes in Italy. He was of the opinion that tomatoes need less food and water than we tend to give them in England - golden rule being to not allow them to dry out completely but to just start to get dry - and then to water deep and well (mine are in the ground and I only do them once a week unless it's absolutely baking) and to stop feeding once a couple of trusses of fruit have set.

    He always said that tomatoes need heat rather than sun to ripen and produce decent fruit. So a hot overcast day is better than a cool sunny one. It's one reason why tomatoes will often fare better in a greenhouse - it just gets warmer than outside. It's also why the cold weather has stopped the toms in their tracks. We've still had sun - but it's been badoodly freezing - especially of an evening.
    Heaven is ... sitting in the garden with a G&T and a cat while watching the sun go down
  • tui34tui34 Posts: 3,493
    @TheScottishGardener  Although I live in a different clime than yours - late Autumn green tomatoes are picked and stored in layers of newspaper until ripe (takes ages) and they aren't as good as summer fruit, but it's home grown!!  Maybe do half and half?

    @Topbird  I made some green tomato fritters from a recipe on internet - chopped toms, parley garlic onion & mint - batter with an egg and self raising flour.  Served with Tzatziki but it wasn't that delish.  I prefer thickly sliced green toms in a runnier batter.  I 

    Although you don't like green tomato chutney, I found this recipe on the net because it has olives and peppers and autumn vegetables in it and is the most delicious condiment I have had in a long time.  I worked for many years at a French Primary School and took a large jar of this every year for the teacher's kitchen - they loved it (and usually Mediterraneans are not a vinegary lot).  Here is the link if you wish to peruse:

    https://foodinjars.com/recipe/guest-post-green-tomatoes/

    It's worth a try - even if you halve the ingredients.

    Tui
    A good hoeing is worth two waterings.

  • tui34tui34 Posts: 3,493

    PS @Topbird.  My 85 year old FIL is a vigneron.  He grows dwarf tomatoes every year to sell to the tourists (and locals) down here.  He waters until the end of July (say every 3 or 4 days) and then basically stops watering altogether.  His toms are red, sweet and perfect.  I don't know how he does it!  And we are talking 30°C - 38°C heat!
    A good hoeing is worth two waterings.

  • TopbirdTopbird Posts: 8,355
    edited September 2020
    Thanks for the recipe @tuikowhai34. It definitely sounds worth trying - more crunchy pickled veg than a chutney. I have a nice recipe for sweet pickled courgettes which is delicious and it's very, very similar to this green tomato one - except there's a bit of sugar thrown in for a sweet and sour hit. Great with cheese, pate and cold meats.

    I think I'll try both your version and an adaption of the sweet courgette pickle recipe.

    I have made spiced courgette fritters (which were very good) and I was thinking to use the same recipe but with green tomatoes. It's basically a spiced onion bhaji or pakora mix but with grated courgette instead of sliced onion (need to salt, drain, rinse and dry the courgette ). That worked very well - especially as the fritters could be fried and frozen to make a quick an easy 5 minute reheat meal or starter in the oven.

    I think I'll try it with deseeded green tomatoes (maybe skinned) but - in light of your comments - I'll just try making a few first😁

    Interesting about your FIL's way of growing tomatoes. I think there's a lot to be said for not pampering them and letting them get on with it. I've seen rows of tomatoes growing in Greece in bone dry soil. The plants looked absolutely dreadful - wilted leaves (sometimes no leaves) and I suspect they had no water or food beyond that provided by mother nature. Gorgeous tomatoes though!
    Heaven is ... sitting in the garden with a G&T and a cat while watching the sun go down
  • tui34tui34 Posts: 3,493
    @Topbird - getting off the beaten track here, but I love Indian food having spent time there - so Pakora is on the menu tomorrow with courgettes and aubergines - the glut is on!!  It's just having the ideas!!  Here is a little poem from one of my Nana's cookery books:  That women's work is never done, has always been disputed;
                But that she's worried is a fact and cannot be refuted.
                The worry over what to eat, is greatest of these questions.
                And glad she'd be if some else would make the meal suggestions!!

    A good hoeing is worth two waterings.

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