Tomatoes that won't turn red.

[Farmer Bob]

Hi Folks,

I have a mysterious problem. I had tomatoes that ripened normally on some plants and turned red. Then I had some plants on which the tomatoes turned yellow and would not ripen any further. Besides that, the seeds inside of these tomatoes had germinated and had formed leaves.! How strange.! I had experienced this same phenomenon last year and did not expect it to happen again.

Can anyone help and clear up this mystery for me.???

[ruggr10]

This may sound like the obvious answer, but are they green tomatoes?

[Farmer Bob]

Hi ruggr,

No, they're not green tomatoes. The original tomatoes were red. I bought them from the grocery store. They have a long life and stay firm out of the refrigerator for weeks.

I picked the tomatoes after they had turned yellow on the vines and left them out for 3 weeks to see if they would turn red, but no way. They remained yellow and still firm .

HELP.!

[DoubleDogFarm]

Farmer Bob,

What variety? I've read that gold / red bi-color tomatoes are known to germinate seeds inside. Apparently they have soft skin with less of the natural gel germination inhibitor.

Eric

[Farmer Bob]

Hi Eric,

I don't know what variety they are. I bought tomatoes from a grocery store and collected some seed as I was impressed by the quality and the long storage life outside the refrigerator.

The skin is a bit tough though.

I guess it's some hybrid that is probably throwing back some genes to give the end quality and also the yellow colour when ripe. As you say, a " green type" tomato.

It would be nice to know what actually is taking place.

Thks for the response. Much appreciated.

Bob

[hendi_alex]

When you collect seeds from a hybrid tomato, the offspring can be almost anything as they revert back to the original parent or some variation. I'm guessing that the grocery variety had a yellow tomato in its history and your seeds reverted back to that. You shelved the ripe yellow tomatoes for too long and the seeds began to sprout.

[DoubleDogFarm]

Computer problem.

[Farmer Bob]

Thks hendi_alex. That seems to confirm my suspicions about the yellow tomatoes.We cooked some tonight in a shepherd's pie. tasted fine to me.!