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?

Thanks,
Ed

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?

Thanks,
Ed

Pick one and taste it. If it tastes good pick more. If not, wait a few days and try again.

You are lucky. I don't even have a tomato that is even blushing. Great big plants, lots of green, but nothing even starting to
ripen.

--
Al
(Long time gardener but new to rec.gardens.edible)

"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.

--
TQ

Al Reid wrote:

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?

Thanks,
Ed

Pick one and taste it. If it tastes good pick more. If not, wait a few days and try again.

You are lucky. I don't even have a tomato that is even blushing. Great big plants, lots of green, but nothing even starting to
ripen.

Same here. Great huge Brandywines, small green San Marzanos and Ultragirls. Even the Sweet Million are still green. I just lopped
off all their tops and cut out all the blooms ... all the ones without developing fruit of a certain minumum size. I'm in southern
Ontario and I figure there's only about 6 good weeks left in the season .. if we're lucky. I'm fearing an invasion of green
tomatoes.



--
Al
(Long time gardener but new to rec.gardens.edible)

Long time gardener and occasional visitor to rec.gardens.edible.

EV

Al Reid wrote:

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?

Thanks,
Ed

Pick one and taste it. If it tastes good pick more. If not, wait a few days and try again.

You are lucky. I don't even have a tomato that is even blushing. Great big plants, lots of green, but nothing even starting to
ripen.

Same here. Great huge Brandywines, small green San Marzanos and Ultragirls. Even the Sweet Million are still green. I just lopped
off all their tops and cut out all the blooms ... all the ones without developing fruit of a certain minumum size. I'm in southern
Ontario and I figure there's only about 6 good weeks left in the season .. if we're lucky. I'm fearing an invasion of green
tomatoes.



--
Al
(Long time gardener but new to rec.gardens.edible)

Long time gardener and occasional visitor to rec.gardens.edible.

EV

Ed Stuart said:

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?

Green shoulders is a cosmetic problem in tomatoes. These areas may
turn yellow but will never fully ripen before the rest of the tomato gets
over-ripe and rots.

This sort of uneven ripening is more common in older varieties than
modern hybrids. It's often associated with high temperature in the fruit
and especially likely to happen in sun-struck fruit. Maintaining a good
foliage cover will help to limit the problem.

--
Pat in Plymouth MI ('someplace.net' is comcast)

Any technology distinguishable from magic is insufficiently advanced.
(attributed to Don Marti)

Ed Stuart said:

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?

Green shoulders is a cosmetic problem in tomatoes. These areas may
turn yellow but will never fully ripen before the rest of the tomato gets
over-ripe and rots.

This sort of uneven ripening is more common in older varieties than
modern hybrids. It's often associated with high temperature in the fruit
and especially likely to happen in sun-struck fruit. Maintaining a good
foliage cover will help to limit the problem.

--
Pat in Plymouth MI ('someplace.net' is comcast)

Any technology distinguishable from magic is insufficiently advanced.
(attributed to Don Marti)

O.K., how do I, "maintain good foliage cover"?

Thanks,
Ed

(Pat Kiewicz) wrote in message ...
Ed Stuart said:

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?

Green shoulders is a cosmetic problem in tomatoes. These areas may
turn yellow but will never fully ripen before the rest of the tomato gets
over-ripe and rots.

This sort of uneven ripening is more common in older varieties than
modern hybrids. It's often associated with high temperature in the fruit
and especially likely to happen in sun-struck fruit. Maintaining a good
foliage cover will help to limit the problem.

O.K., how do I, "maintain good foliage cover"?

Thanks,
Ed

(Pat Kiewicz) wrote in message ...
Ed Stuart said:

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?

Green shoulders is a cosmetic problem in tomatoes. These areas may
turn yellow but will never fully ripen before the rest of the tomato gets
over-ripe and rots.

This sort of uneven ripening is more common in older varieties than
modern hybrids. It's often associated with high temperature in the fruit
and especially likely to happen in sun-struck fruit. Maintaining a good
foliage cover will help to limit the problem.

O.K., how do I, "maintain good foliage cover"?

Thanks,
Ed

(Pat Kiewicz) wrote in message ...
Ed Stuart said:

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?

Green shoulders is a cosmetic problem in tomatoes. These areas may
turn yellow but will never fully ripen before the rest of the tomato gets
over-ripe and rots.

This sort of uneven ripening is more common in older varieties than
modern hybrids. It's often associated with high temperature in the fruit
and especially likely to happen in sun-struck fruit. Maintaining a good
foliage cover will help to limit the problem.

"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

"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

(Ed Stuart) wrote in message om...
O.K., how do I, "maintain good foliage cover"?


generally, it is easier to maintain cover with the taller
(indeterminate) tomatoes. It is also easier if you cage the tomatoes
(that is, if they grow inside a cage - mine are made of rebar), if you
place the plants close enough to one another (like, 18-20 inches
apart), and if you don't prune the plants. This said, I do all of the
above, but I still get some green/yellow shoulders, specially in
Brandywine and Stupice, which are both heirlooms. My Better Boys are
all red around, but a yellow-shouldered Brandywine is still a much
better tomato.

(Ed Stuart) wrote in message om...
O.K., how do I, "maintain good foliage cover"?


generally, it is easier to maintain cover with the taller
(indeterminate) tomatoes. It is also easier if you cage the tomatoes
(that is, if they grow inside a cage - mine are made of rebar), if you
place the plants close enough to one another (like, 18-20 inches
apart), and if you don't prune the plants. This said, I do all of the
above, but I still get some green/yellow shoulders, specially in
Brandywine and Stupice, which are both heirlooms. My Better Boys are
all red around, but a yellow-shouldered Brandywine is still a much
better tomato.

Ed Stuart said:

O.K., how do I, "maintain good foliage cover"?

Overly zealous pruning of staked tomatoes should be avoided.
If you *are* staking the tomatoes, prune them to two or three stems
rather than one single one. Keep an eagle eye out for pests --
especially hornworms. Limit loss of foliage to disease by good
mulching and watering practices (and maybe preventative treatment
if foliar diseases have been a chronic problem in the past).

--
Pat in Plymouth MI ('someplace.net' is comcast)

Any technology distinguishable from magic is insufficiently advanced.
(attributed to Don Marti)