Tomatoes Not Ripening On Top

[Decado]

Once again I'm having the same ripening problems as last year, except this time the plants are getting plenty of potassium, phosphorous, nitrogen, and compost tea. I have the same fungus problems that I did last year and can't get rid of it with the milk mixture. Could it be the fungus causing the ripening problems?

Edit: Just to clarify I mean the tops of the fruit and not the tops of the plant.

[engineeredgarden]

What you are describing is referred to as "green shoulders", which is caused by direct exposure of the fruit to sunlight. Is there anything prohibiting your foliage from not filling out nicely?

EG

[Decado]

Well I have the fungus but it hasn't terribly damaged any foliage near the tomatoes and I haven't cut any there yet, and there's a whole lot of foliage on my plants. Hmm

[engineeredgarden]

If you have plenty of foliage, then it's due to the temperature of the fruit itself. To remedy this, pick while still green - then allow to ripen in a cool environment away from any light.

EG

[TZ -OH6]

What varieties are you growing? The uniform ripening gene is mostly found in modern hybrids (the green tomatoes are all one color instead of having darker shoulders). Most open pollinated varieties, heirloom or not, often don't ripen the shoulder region very effectively. Its normal. Heat produces "yellow shoulder" and is mostly cosmetic on exposed fruit. You generally won't find it on the interior shaded fruit.

[Decado]

Well they are cherokee purple and brandywine, the other tomatoes seem to have it to a much lesser degree.

[rainbowgardener]

https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=154319&highlight=green+shoulders#154319