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Old 19-07-2009, 06:18 PM posted to rec.gardens
Paul M. Cook Paul M. Cook is offline
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First recorded activity by GardenBanter: Mar 2008
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Default Yellow pear tomatoes not ripening


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On Jul 18, 11:34 pm, "Paul M. Cook" wrote:
Zootal wrote:
"Paul M. Cook" wrote in message
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What's up with that? Week after week they just hang here and nothing
changes. The plant is putting out a pretty fair number of buds and
I see new fruit all over it. But the oldest fruit which is almost
full size just stays green week after week.


It has been hot here in SoCal - days in the mid 90s and nights about
68-72. I water them heavily two times a day and that may have to be
3 at the rate they seem to need it.


My celebrities also do not seem to be in any hurry to ripen. In
fact some of the oldest ones I just had to cut off due to brown rot
on the bottom half. Cutting them open showed they were full of
brown goo inside.


The temps here are upper 80s, sometimes low 90s. And I water my toms
maybe every 5 days. If you are watering them heavily twice a day, you
are badly over-watering them.


They severely wilt if not watered at least 2 times a day. If they do not
get a night watering they are badly wilted by noon the next day. I should
mention these are in pots. Today was 100F.

Pear tomatoes, especially yellow, will sit there, big, fat, and green
for a long time, until they are ready to turn yellow. Then one day
you have a bazillion yellow toms. Quit watering them so much and
leave them alone. They will ripen when they are ready.


I certainly can wait but not watering as much will kill them. I'm going to
move them to a place where they get less sun and earlier shade.

Paul- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -


How big are the pots? If they are drying out that quickly, you might
want to look at putting them in larger containers next year.



The pots are 22 inches in diameter and about 18 inches deep. They hold 2
cubic feet of soil. Next year I won't double up on the seedlings per pot.
I did 2 each this year. But it is very hot and very dry here and I have
noticed that even some plants, like my peppers, wilt despite having moist
soil. I understand that the plant is losing water faster than it can absorb
it. So I am planting much earlier next year, no later than February.

Paul