Getting tomatoes to ripen sooner??

[PunkRotten]

Hi,

I read something about some tomatoes only being partially ripe or still green and you can get them to ripen faster but cutting the roots. I read you get a knife and cut in a circle around the base of the vines cutting most but not all the roots. And what happens is the plant will go into a sort of survival mode and use the last of its energy to ripen the remaining fruits on it before the plant dies.

Is there any truth to this? Anyone try it? Reason I ask is I plan on ripping out a few tomato plants because I wanna use that extra space to plant some fall crops. But there is a good amount of tomatoes still on these plants. If this will not work, what other ways are there that will help get some fruits to ripen faster?


Thx

[rainbowgardener]

I have no idea about that, maybe someone else will.

But if you want the space, you can always just pick all the tomatoes and bring them in. Any of them that are already blushed will definitely ripen up on the counter. In the fall, before frost, I bring in all my tomatoes and just put them in a big bowl. The ones on top ripen and then I take them off and the next layer ripens. Usually for me even the ones picked green eventually ripen up that way.

[PunkRotten]

Yeah I bring in partially ripe tomatoes anyway cause if I leave them to get red on the vine some small animal or bug tries to get it. But they ripen up in a few days just fine. But I never tried with an all green one. I think most of the tomatoes are full grown but just still green.

[TZ -OH6]

I've seen the partial root pruning you speak of recommended by some people I trust so if the plants will be pulled anyway you might as well try it.

[CharlieBear]

You could just pull the plants up with the tomatoes on them hang the plants upside down and many of the tomaotes will ripen. That is what I do in the fall, better tasting in my opinion that the other alternatives.

[gardenvt]

You can ripen tomatoes in a paper bag with an apple or two.

I had a couple of brandywine that were hard green - ripe in about 3 days using the bag and apple method.

[gixxerific]

I have heard of this myself as well. I have never tried it. So all you can do is try. Maybe try several different alternatives and see what works best.