A hobby gardener will look in vain for a dedicated list of when tomatoes ripen. Too many factors influence the process of maturity. Thanks to the following overview, you will not approach tomato cultivation without a guide.

Useful division of varieties into four seasonal sections

Regardless of how the weather and care influence the ripening period, the different tomato varieties still offer a point of reference. The differentiation of the entire season into four sections has proven itself here:

  • Very early season: 52-54 days
  • Preseason: 55-69 days
  • Mid Season: 70-84 days
  • Off-season: 85 days and longer

The calculation here is based on the day of planting outdoors, which in Central Europe implies a date around May 20th. The course the cultivation took is therefore not taken into account. If young plants are cultivated in a heated greenhouse, shorter maturing times apply.

Popular varieties for very early harvest

Experience has shown that you can enjoy these tomato varieties after just 52 to 54 days:

  • Previa F1: round, red fruits up to 140 grams
  • Cookie F1: delicious cherry tomato up to 20 grams
  • Pepe F1: sweet as sugar and tiny up to 15 grams
  • Sophie's decision: old variety with red fruits up to 250 grams

Incidentally, the very early varieties are the ideal candidates for growing tomatoes in harsh locations, as they mostly come from the cold regions of Russia or North America.

Classic early-season tomatoes

If you prefer a harvest time from the end of July/beginning of August, the following proven varieties are shortlisted:

  • Agro F1: an Italian bottle tomato with red fruits weighing 90 grams
  • Aurora: robust bush tomato that produces pristine red tomatoes up to 70 grams
  • Fleurette F1: an ox heart with tender flesh up to 180 grams
  • Grappelina F1: the vine tomato with a wonderful aroma up to 140 grams

Tomatoes for a fruity mid-season

Their maturity moves on the 'golden mean path' and thus reduces cultural risks in every direction:

  • Purple 1884 beefsteak tomato: a historic variety with a purple-black skin
  • Alicante: English beefsteak tomato, aromatic, high yield up to 180 grams
  • Phantasia F1: robust stick tomato, resistant and with a compact growth

Particularly aromatic thanks to very late ripening

The following tomato varieties require a lot of patience, because they take more than 85 days to ripen. They make up for it with an inimitable pleasure:

  • Indian summer: red beefsteak tomatoes up to 200 grams
  • Dorothy's Green: rare green variety with flat round fruits up to 200 grams
  • Striped German: heavily ribbed, yellow-red striped, mildly aromatic up to 200 grams

tips and tricks

If the ripening period has long expired and the tomatoes are not ready to be harvested, experienced hobby gardeners can help a little. Hang some fully ripe apples or bananas in the plants. The escaping ethylene noticeably accelerates the ripening process.

Category:

Vegetable garden