Italophile thank you for the info. My tomatoes certainly developed a tonne more fruit during the recent hot spell but it did cool down immediately after (a little hotter again now) so I'll give them a while longer and see how they go and then do what you suggest and bring them indoors when it cools down to low teens on a daily basis and finish them off indoors
I've got the opposite problem, I've got tomatoes coming out of my ears. All thin skinned and lovely tasting. I've grown Gardeners Delight, Moneymaker, Alicante, Sungold and Maskotka, all grown in growbags or large pots in greenhouse on NW coast of England. Best year in ages.
Perhaps I haven't watered enough, but I've grown tomatoes for years. It has been hot this year in the late 20s and early 30s, need rain badly. I live in Dordogne, France.
Lizzie, it's been very high-30s for about a month now here in central Italy. If your plants are in the ground, all you can do is water very very deeply, driving the roots way underground where it's cooler and the moisture survives. I do mine about every three days.
Paula - Well done. Sounds like you lot had a decent summer for the first time in ages.
It seems that the problem might be a combination of variety and lack of water, although I have needed to water twice a day during the warm weather here in the UK.
Maybe the later fruit further up the plant will be better.
I've had similar problems with tough skins and no taste on a tumbler I bought at the Garden Centre in a plastic pot! I have been guilty of neglecting to water very day and it dries out very quickly. Masses of fruit but tasteless. However I've moved it into the g/house and the new ripening fruits are much better! They are getting watered with the cucs and peppers and toms and obviously not suffering the cool winds!
my g/house toms have been a worry.....lots of fruit but its only this week I've harvested the first Ailsa Craig. They do now seem to be turning but one by one! Pinched out now but should I continue to feed?
i did experiment by allowing 2 additional side shoots to develop low down as well as the main stem (read it somewhere I can't recall) - could this be why I'm not harvesting until now?
We live in Hampshire and have the similar problem of fruits very slow in ripening. In the Spring I sliced two growbags in half across their width and stood them on end, sowing one tomato plant in each bag after mixing growmore with the soil. The four plants are inside mini greenhouses with plastic covers, open at the front, and have produced an abundant amount of fruit. They are finally showing signs of turning light green/yellow and should ripen in the next couple of weeks or so.
I use this method each year and it is very successful, the bags are connected to my automatic watering system which waters them at 7am and 7pm for two minutes each time.
Glad it's not just me that's going to have a cupboard full of green tomato chutney this year!!! Looking on the bright side though - that's a few contributions to village tombolas / charity fundraisers / small 'thank you' gifts sorted out for the next year
(Gardener's Delight - grown outside - lots of fruit but just 2 red tomatoes so far which the squirrels or mice pinched before I got there )
Heaven is ... sitting in the garden with a G&T and a cat while watching the sun go down
Posts
Italophile thank you for the info. My tomatoes certainly developed a tonne more fruit during the recent hot spell but it did cool down immediately after (a little hotter again now) so I'll give them a while longer and see how they go and then do what you suggest and bring them indoors when it cools down to low teens on a daily basis and finish them off indoors
I've got the opposite problem, I've got tomatoes coming out of my ears. All thin skinned and lovely tasting.
I've grown Gardeners Delight, Moneymaker, Alicante, Sungold and Maskotka, all grown in growbags or large pots in greenhouse on NW coast of England. Best year in ages.
Lizzie, it's been very high-30s for about a month now here in central Italy. If your plants are in the ground, all you can do is water very very deeply, driving the roots way underground where it's cooler and the moisture survives. I do mine about every three days.
Paula - Well done. Sounds like you lot had a decent summer for the first time in ages.
Thanks to all of you for your replies and advice.
It seems that the problem might be a combination of variety and lack of water, although I have needed to water twice a day during the warm weather here in the UK.
Maybe the later fruit further up the plant will be better.
I've had similar problems with tough skins and no taste on a tumbler I bought at the Garden Centre in a plastic pot! I have been guilty of neglecting to water very day and it dries out very quickly. Masses of fruit but tasteless. However I've moved it into the g/house and the new ripening fruits are much better! They are getting watered with the cucs and peppers and toms and obviously not suffering the cool winds!
my g/house toms have been a worry.....lots of fruit but its only this week I've harvested the first Ailsa Craig. They do now seem to be turning but one by one! Pinched out now but should I continue to feed?
i did experiment by allowing 2 additional side shoots to develop low down as well as the main stem (read it somewhere I can't recall) - could this be why I'm not harvesting until now?
Granny, there's no point fertilising for fruit that has already developed. That's the fruit that will ripen for you if it stays warm long enough.
How many branches did you take off the Ailsa Craig?
We live in Hampshire and have the similar problem of fruits very slow in ripening. In the Spring I sliced two growbags in half across their width and stood them on end, sowing one tomato plant in each bag after mixing growmore with the soil. The four plants are inside mini greenhouses with plastic covers, open at the front, and have produced an abundant amount of fruit. They are finally showing signs of turning light green/yellow and should ripen in the next couple of weeks or so.
I use this method each year and it is very successful, the bags are connected to my automatic watering system which waters them at 7am and 7pm for two minutes each time.
Italophile - I allowed the first 2 side shoots PLUS the main stem to develop and pinched out all side shoots thereafter.
Granny, by side shoots do you mean branches? Or the suckers that grow at the intersections of the main stem and branches?
This is a sucker growing at a branch intersection:
Glad it's not just me that's going to have a cupboard full of green tomato chutney this year!!! Looking on the bright side though - that's a few contributions to village tombolas / charity fundraisers / small 'thank you' gifts sorted out for the next year
(Gardener's Delight - grown outside - lots of fruit but just 2 red tomatoes so far which the squirrels or mice pinched before I got there
)