Tomoatoes to grow

[momof4rugratz]

Ok I have had green tomatoes for over 2 weeks and the plant hasnt done so well but she is starting to look great. There is nice green around the base but I am wondering how long it takes to be a read tomatoe. The tag just calls these tomatoes. I don't want her or her fruit to die so I have been babying her. I have her sister plant which is nice green and absolutly beautiful but no fruit. I get nice yellow flowers no fruit. It is strange the plant with 5 tomatoes went thru one heck of a spell and the beautiful plant has nothing. Weird or just me. Back to question

From the time I get a tomato the size of an egg till I can pick it off and eat it

[Kisal]

The next time "sister" has nice yellow flowers, stop and give her a gentle shake. (If you are a smoker, either wear gloves while you do this, or else wash your hands first. Tomatoes and tobacco can share certain diseases.)

Shaking the plant will help to pollinate the flowers. They have to be pollinated before they can set fruit.

I'm glad your plant is looking a little happier.

I don't usually get ripe tomatoes until late July/early August, but it will depend on the climate where you live.

[TZ -OH6]

A rule of thumb is to take the listed Days To Maturity value for the variety, and then subtract 25 days. That will give you the approximate time it takes for a baby tomato to grow and ripen. Early varities are generally 55-65 days DTM, while most large beefsteaks are around 80 DTM. Once a green tomato hits full size it is only a little over half way to ripening, so it seems like it takes forever. Stressed out/dieing plants generaly ripen fruits a little faster. not knowing your variety, or what the maximum fruit size will be it is almst impossible to tell when that fruit might ripen, but if it is suppoposed to be red then the bottom will turn almost white before the red shows up. Don't worry about the color on the shoulders, that is the last thing to change.


Small/young plants are a little picky about setting fruit even if you shake or buzz them. So it is not unusual that one plant has fruit and the other doesn't. When they get larger the weather has a lot to do with the success of fruit set.

[momof4rugratz]

Here is SISTER

[img]https://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j78/momof3rugratz/Garden%202009/Garden5-20-09026.jpg[/img]

Here is are BABY GIRL who is a fighter look at her green this morning

[img]https://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j78/momof3rugratz/Garden%202009/Garden5-20-09025.jpg[/img]

[Kisal]

Sister is gorgeous, and Baby Girl is working hard to catch up! [img]https://bestsmileys.com/thumbs/3.gif[/img]

[momof4rugratz]

Thank you we are trying to keep her alive poor baby

[rainbowgardener]

But don't expect the tomatoes to do much while the plant is struggling so much to survive. Survival is the first imperative and will take energy away from fruit production (though if plants are really dying, they will often put a burst of energy into seed production just at the end as a way of ensuring species survival). If the plant gets healthy and thriving again, then it will resume fruit production.

[momof4rugratz]

She has stayed alive the last 3 weeks so she is a fighter

[Kisal]

I wonder if things might not be a little easier for her, if you were to remove the fruit? She has to struggle to support that, at the same time as she is trying to grow stronger. I know you were really looking forward to ripe tomatoes soon. Maybe you could let them ripen on your kitchen counter? They wouldn't be as good as vine-ripened fruit, but it might help Baby Girl survive. Just something to consider.

[momof4rugratz]

Her fruit is turning yellow now I will wait a few days and go from there she is really starting to green up