01-07-2003, 03:08 AM
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Re(2): Tomatoes not ripening
(Glenna Rose) wrote in
fc.003d0941019d67c93b9aca0086a492b3.19d67e2@pmug. org:
writes:
Some of the information I've come across says that the cells in the
tomato plant that form the pigments do not function well in extended
temperatures above 83 degree F. They simply wont ripen. This may be
false information, or
there are varieties breed as workarounds. Still you said temps were in
the 80s...high 80s? Are most people having this problem in higher temp
zones, experiencing a heat wave, or just impatient?
Won't ripen above 83? Wow! Someone should have told the many, many
thousands of tomatoes my grandparents grew for market in eastern
Washington. It was a rare day, indeed, that the temperature was below
83.
Tomatoes are more of a hot weather plant than a cool weather plant, or
so
it would seem.
I hope that wherever you got that information hasn't given you anything
else on which you might base anything really important.
Now if you have extended hot weather and don't they don't have adequate
water, you will have problems, but you'd also have problems in cooler
weather without adequate water.
Sorry, just be patient. They will ripen. Didn't someone on this group
say a watched tomato doesn't ripen?
Glenna
Actually if the night temperatures do not fall below a certain point which
may well be 83F the fruit doesn't ripen. Last year LI experienced an
unprecedented heat wave and fruit continued to grow to enormous size but
didn't ripen until well into August when nights finally started getting
cooler. All the local gardeners I know had the same problem. During this
heatwave very little new fruit was set and 2 or 3 clusters failed to
produce fruit. As temperatures cooled fruit production resumed but most
failed to ripen before cold weather. Most of the information on tomato
ripening and temperature concerns off the vine ripening w/ ethylene but
there are several articles that mention continous high temperatures
preventing on plant ripening. In over 40 years of growing tomatoes I had
never experienced this before. Now this cold wet year I am awaiting the
first blossom .
Bob
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