whats wrong with my tomatoes??

[greg1186]

My tomatoes aree not ripening! They aree all full sized but have been green for about three to four weeks... help!

[rainbowgardener]

Some times it just takes awhile. But what have your temps been like lately? Temps at 90 and above impair biosynthesis of lycopene and other compounds that give the color/ ripeness. It may be just too darn hot for them to ripen up very well. Once they get to blushed, you can pick them and they may ripen better indoors than out.

[shaefins]

My tomato plants were out of control. I had a lots of green tomatoes that never got sunlight due to all the foliage. I pruned a TON off the plants on Sunday, and in just a day or two they started to turn. How shaded are your tomatoes?

[orgoveg]

Adding to what Rainbow said... Once they have a bit of color, put them in a paper bag with a ripening banana. The banana releases a gas that encourages the tomatoes to ripen.

I have the same problem right now. They should ripen when it cools down, but if not, I will pull the plants by the root and hang them upside down in the garage. That usually does the trick.

[TZ -OH6]

You can induce a green tomato to ripen by placing an apple (produces more ethlene than banana) in a bag with them. Gassing with ethlene is what is done to grocerystore tomatoes, but once a tomato reaches breaker stage and color can be seen it will ripen on its own. It creates its own ethlene gas internally. Many types of fruit do not do this, which is why the banana thing is often cited, but it is not needed with tomatoes.

[orgoveg]

Apples instead of bananas... interesting. I'll have to try that before the first frost. I always have green tomatoes at the end of the season because I sow seeds directly in the garden instead of starting them early or buying plants at the nursery. The summer heat gets them growing quickly, but I'm the last one in town to have ripe tomatoes. While other folks are disappointed that the season is over, I have them ripe on the vine

[garden5]

should the apple be whole or cut? Also, I'm thinking you should just give them some time and see. I had tomatoes that seemed like they were green forever, but then all of a sudden, they started to turn.

Like RBG also said, the heat can impede the ripening process....which is the slight problem I've been having lately.