Any fruit that produces ethylene gas is claimed to hasten the ripening of a tomato. As I've said, I've found no evidence that it does. Toms produce their own. Most fruits do. It's the hormone that causes ripening.
Temperature controls ripening. A tom inside on a bench in a room at 18C will ripen quicker than a tom outside on a plant at 13C.
If you're at the stage where fruit is starting to ripen on a plant, the foliage becomes less important. By maturity time, the actual plant's job is done.
Last year's were. But last year I was picking ripe ones by the end of July! While you're there, Italophile, do you reckon there's any advantage to defoliation as recemmended by Christopher 2? And also comments on nodlisab's query ...if unripe toms are put in a heated propagator? I'd like to try, but don't want to cook them...
Any unripe ones I put onto trays which are then sat on sunny sills inside the house. The majority of fruit does slowly ripen & saves the need for green tomato recipes. Works with small peppers too IME. J.
figrat, removing the foliage won't aid or hasten the maturing process. The plant itself plays no real part in ripening. That's why toms will ripen off the plant. The only benefit would be if the foliage is seriously diseased, stopping any disease getting to the fruit. I think that's why Chris did it.
As to the propagator, cooking the tom would be the risk. A sunny window sill inside would do the job if it's too cold outside. You'd just have to keep an eye on sunscald (sunburn) if the sunlight is penetrating.
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How about putting them in a propagator does that work?
Yay! Just cut first ripened Pink Brandywine, weighed in a touch under 10 oz.
Any fruit that produces ethylene gas is claimed to hasten the ripening of a tomato. As I've said, I've found no evidence that it does. Toms produce their own. Most fruits do. It's the hormone that causes ripening.
Temperature controls ripening. A tom inside on a bench in a room at 18C will ripen quicker than a tom outside on a plant at 13C.
If you're at the stage where fruit is starting to ripen on a plant, the foliage becomes less important. By maturity time, the actual plant's job is done.
Congrats! They can grow bigger than that too.
Last year's were. But last year I was picking ripe ones by the end of July! While you're there, Italophile, do you reckon there's any advantage to defoliation as recemmended by Christopher 2? And also comments on nodlisab's query ...if unripe toms are put in a heated propagator? I'd like to try, but don't want to cook them...
Any unripe ones I put onto trays which are then sat on sunny sills inside the house. The majority of fruit does slowly ripen & saves the need for green tomato recipes. Works with small peppers too IME. J.
figrat, removing the foliage won't aid or hasten the maturing process. The plant itself plays no real part in ripening. That's why toms will ripen off the plant. The only benefit would be if the foliage is seriously diseased, stopping any disease getting to the fruit. I think that's why Chris did it.
As to the propagator, cooking the tom would be the risk. A sunny window sill inside would do the job if it's too cold outside. You'd just have to keep an eye on sunscald (sunburn) if the sunlight is penetrating.
As jo4eyes just posted!