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brooksms
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Joined: Thu Jan 15, 2015 10:38 am
Location: 7b Central NC

Will it ever turn red?!

This "tommy toe" cherry variety tomato has been at full size for weeks and, no matter how hard I stare each day, it's just as green as the day before! I started from seed mid to late January and planted outside the first week in April. Baker Creek says 75 days but I'm not sure where to count from in this situation. Any idea when I should expect to see some red?
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rainbowgardener
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Location: TN/GA 7b

Patience, patience!

Thinking about how long you have to wait, this tomato development time line may help you:

https://web.archive.org/web/201012180503 ... s_Timeline

This shows the development of a Big Beef tomato that has a listed DTM of 73 days. This timeline starts with Day 0 being when the first flower buds start to show (NOT when the seedling sprouts or when the plant goes in the ground). From the flower bud to ripe tomato is 57 days. From when the first tiny tomato formed to a ripe tomato was 42 days. From when the fruit was full sized to when it was ripe was still 18 days.

I don't know what you mean when you say it's been full sized "for weeks." But it is not looking very close to turning color. They go from dark green, to light green, to very pale green close to white and then they color up. You have gotten partly to the light green, but not to the pale green, close to white.

Different factors can affect how long it takes to ripen - the air temperatures, the soil temperature, how many tomatoes are on the plant, etc. If your plant is covered in tomatoes, removing some of them will help it ripen up the others. Has it been hot where you are?

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brooksms
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Joined: Thu Jan 15, 2015 10:38 am
Location: 7b Central NC

Thanks for the info! When I say weeks, I mean this picture was taken two weeks ago and it has been full size for at least that long. I'll have to look when I get home but the top part is still darker green and the bottom may be a little lighter. It's been pretty warm here recently, 70's and 80's with nights in the 60's. The tomatoes are growing in clusters of 6 but I would say the whole plant has maybe 24 growing with many more on the way. I'm doing my best to be patient! Just want to make sure something isn't wrong since I haven't seen much change in the tomato.

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brooksms
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Joined: Thu Jan 15, 2015 10:38 am
Location: 7b Central NC

Well, a few days later and it is finally changing color! Went from this picture to a little bit lighter green on the bottom and now a mustard yellow. Very interesting!

lexusnexus
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Location: MD Suburbs of DC, 7a

Yeah, many tomatoes quickly get large and green, then it seems it takes to almost October before they begin to ripen. :lol:



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