The tomatoes are actually big and plump enough to finally be harvested and eaten. If the fruits still don't want to ripen, experienced hobby gardeners can help out a little. Here's how to get straight to maturity.

This is how you motivate unwilling tomatoes in the bed to ripen

For a variety of reasons, the ripening time of tomatoes in the bed or greenhouse is unexpectedly long. It may be due to low temperatures or insufficient leaf mass on the plants. Use the following tricks to help the ripening process effectively:

  • Place a wooden board next to the tomato plant and fold it over
  • the fruit must not come into contact with the ground
  • put a cold box over it and cover with garden fleece
  • Depending on the weather, the fruits ripen within 1-3 weeks
  • the ripening room is ventilated once a day

Alternatively, spread the innovative, dark red ripening film under the tomato plants. The reflected light waves encourage the fruit to also turn red. In the greenhouse, hang several fully ripe apples or bananas on the unwilling plants. The escaping ethylene gas accelerates the ripening process.

Uncomplicated post-ripening in the house

If the temperatures drop below 10 degrees Celsius for a long time, this does not mean that you have to forgo the enjoyment of fully ripe, juicy tomatoes. In this case, pull the plant completely out of the ground and carry it indoors. Hanging upside down on the clothesline in the warm basement room, the tomatoes ripen at 25 degrees Celsius and the highest possible humidity.

Individual green fruits are harvested together with the stalk. Wrapped in black foil or newspaper, the tomatoes spend the next 14 days in a warm room. The shell is aired once a day to prevent mold and rot. The process is even clearer if the fruit is spread out on several layers of newspaper. Lay another thick layer of newspaper over this and fold the edges over so that the ethylene gas cannot escape.

tips and tricks

No matter how big your appetite for freshly harvested tomatoes, do not reach for green fruits. The solanine content in unripe tomatoes is always at a harmful level. Even tomatoes with a few green spots are unfit for consumption. The only exception is green tomato varieties.

Category:

Vegetable garden