deltzy
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How do tomatoes ripen?

I'm not sure about how tomatoes ripen, many say take the tops of the tomato plants to helps the tomatoes ripen?

Does the tomatoes only ripen when they are at full size, or is it independent of what size the tomato is and only due to the warm sunny conditions? Or does the tomato use energy to help ripen tomatoes?

Thanks!

TZ -OH6
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When the tomato reaches a mature green stage (seed maturity) based on age and temperature the sap vessels in the bulge on the stem leading to the fruit are closed off and the fruit starts to produce ethlene gas (and other chemicals) internally which causes what we know as ripening (color changes, flavors develop, fruit softens). The ripening is independent of the plant or sunlight.

The grocery store tomatoes are picked before mature green stage and gassed with ethlene so they turn red and get soft...sort of.

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gixxerific
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On another note if you cut off the the leader or main stem this will cause the plant to stop producing new growth and concentrate on ripening what is has left. So you have to think about that before you start getting all butcher like.

People will do this in the fall with hopes of their already present fruit ripening before the frost come.

Father's Daughter
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deltzy wrote:I'm not sure about how tomatoes ripen
Very, very slowly... :D

mmmfloorpie
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gixxerific wrote:On another note if you cut off the the leader or main stem this will cause the plant to stop producing new growth and concentrate on ripening what is has left. So you have to think about that before you start getting all butcher like.

People will do this in the fall with hopes of their already present fruit ripening before the frost come.
I cut some of the leaders off mine because my plants are getting to be over 6 feet tall... I thought doing this would encourage more fruit...

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gixxerific
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A final pruning pays off

About 30 days before the first frost, there is one last pruning chore: The plants must be topped. The fruit that has set must be given every opportunity to mature. Removing all the growing tips directs all sugar produced by the plant to the fruit. This can be hard to do, as every gardener is reluctant to admit the season is coming to an end. However, this final pruning can make all the difference between hard, green fruits, hurriedly picked before frost, which later rot in a paper bag, and ripe, home-grown tomatoes in your Thanksgiving salad. Be tough, fight your nurturing instincts, and top those plants.
From https://www.finegardening.com/how-to/articles/pruning-tomatoes.aspx Give this a read it may help, it is a great article.

By the way I'm happy as pie some of mine are reaching the 7-8 foot mark. They do need a trimming again. But they are grwoing so fast it is hard to keep up. I trim mainly to increase airflow and reduce the massive amount of leaves being fed that aren't really helping the plant other than taking the nutrients that should be going to the fruit. But than again I'm old skool and also think you should let them go and be wild. So it is a battle I face every year. :lol:

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gixxerific
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I also have enough plants that there is a steady stream of tomatoes coming in. Right now it is just about right, not too few not too many. If every green tomato ripened all at once I would be selling to the "Lil Shack" (that is the new produce stand up the road). 8)

Bobberman
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It was on the news that the tomatoes in my area are taller than usually because of the early season and the rain and temp. I noticed field corn today over 7 foot tall in my area in Pa. here!
+++
You get less fruit when you cut the tops of your tomatoes but if you cut them cut them above the last small set of flowers leaving as many leaves on the plant as you can! The plants will produce tomatoes faster but not as many so be careful early in the season! Also try to keep the main stem growing and only cut the tops of the suckers!



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