I purchased an heirloom tomato at Home Depot (I know) and planted it deep in a pot in about the middle of June. I put the pot in a very sunny spot, I have fed it twice and watered it daily. It grew like crazy, then slowed when it began to show fruit. Now it is full of fruit but nothing wants to ripen. I removed a tomato today that had split.
Is there anything I can do to help the tomatoes ripen?
A few suggestions:
–Do not fertilize the plants any more, as this mostly stimulates growth rather than fruit ripening.
–You can drape clear plastic over the plant to keep the temperature up, especially at night, just make sure to remove it during the hottest days so you do not cook the plants.
–Stressing the plant by cutting the roots with a spade 8-12 inches from the stem will encourage ripening. Underwatering will also stress the plant.
–Remove any flowers and really small fruit that probably will not ripen anyway to encourage the plant’s energy towards the developed fruit.
–If you still end up with green tomatoes, bring them inside before the first frost, they may ripen on the windowsill.
Also available in many bookstores or libraries (including the Miller Library) is Growing Vegetables West of the Cascades, by Steve Solomon.