"TQ" wrote in message
...
| "Ed Stuart" wrote in message
| om...
| | Hi,
| |
| | Currrently, one third of my tomatoes are red but they have an
| | unripened green circle three quarters of an inch around the stem.
| | I've never seen this before. Why is this and should I pick them now?
| |
|
| It may be the variety you are growing. If the bottom looks ripe, then
pick
| them. The green shoulder will never turn red.
|


"Green (or yellow) Shoulders

What it looks like: The "shoulders" on the tomato's stem end stay green (or
yellow) and hard as the rest of the fruit ripens.

Cause: Normally chlorophyll breaks down as the fruit ripens. However, in
some varieties, during periods of high temperatures and direct sun exposure,
the chlorophyll does not break down, or does so too slowly.

What to do: This problem is most common in heirloom varieties that happen to
lack the gene for uniform ripening. Most modern hybrids have this gene and
rarely develop green shoulders. However, if you want to grow the older,
susceptible varieties, minimize green shoulders by maintaining good foliage
cover and picking the tomatoes when they're entirely green to ripen indoors,
away from exposure to direct sun."

Source:
http://doityourself.com/vegetables/goodtomatoes.htm

--
TQ