Here in NJ, tomatoes start to set fruit around late may to mid June and the green fruits mature and ripen by early July if you try really hard or more like mid-late July until frost. Unless there is a serious heat wave (like we did this past season) there is usually no interruption in fruit harvest although there are plenty of green fruits at frost.
So I'm realizing I've never really took notice of what kind colder temp range affects tomato fruiting and maturing to ripe fruit. especially in the first fruiting stages.
Right now, [url=https://helpfulgardener.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=48807]my winter indoor tomatoes[/url] are all starting to bloom and set fruit.
The temps downstairs fall to upper 50's at night and typically reach upper 60's during the day. Temps upstairs fall to mid-60's at night and typically reach low70's.
So the temps don't seem to be affecting fruit set, but by my summer temperature standards (mid-upper 80's/upper 60's-low 70's) these temps seem way too low for seeing ripe fruits. What are the minimum temps you really want when the tomato plants are in fruit production stage?
This is precisely the reason for trying Sophie's Choice which is supposed to be coool weather tolerant/hot weather intolerant. So please discuss the cooler weather tomatoes varieties as well the average varieties. I think I need to discover and differentiate heat-loving varieties to weed out of the winter indoor grow list as well. Late maturing (long DTM) varieties are definitely out, extra early and early are definitely in.
If you are familiar with any of them, from what I'm growing -- besides Sophie's Choice -- Zarnitsa, Donomater, and Black Krim, which are more cool weather fruit maturing varieties? Maybe the evaluation can be expressed in terms of how well they do in heat (assuming they don't do as well when cold).
What are the varieties you all are growing in cool summer areas and what is the average/typical daytime highs/overnight lows when the tomatoes are fruiting and ripening?