So there's some rain forecast at last, but with frost for Wednesday, and
thanks to a rather late start, I've still got lots of unripe tomatoes in the
allotment. Some are that pale green, thinking about ripening colour, but
others are still very green. Should I just leave them and hope the frost
doesn't get them, or is it green tomato chutney time?

I guess the same question applies to the pumpkins (or what ever they are -
they're not orange!) and spuds (green tops, showing no signs of yellowing
yet)

Thanks

Martin

I suggest you harvest your tomatoes and put them in a drawer/box with a
banana. The ethylene (sp?) gas given off by the bananas will encourage the
tomatoes to ripen. If you leave them outside 'on the vine' in wet weather
you are risking blight.
All I know about pumpkins is that they need ripening in warm, dry air to
harden the skin. If the skins don't harden, the pumpkins won't store well.
I'm concerned about your spuds. If you mean the tubers are entirely green
then they will be poisonous. If just the top of the tuber is green, then it
can be sliced away and the remaining flesh eaten. Potatoes must be 'earthed
up' as they grow to prevent greening. Simply bank earth up against the
foliage periodically with your next crop. Unless I've misunderstood you,
your current crop is unsafe.
Spider
Martin Richards wrote in message
...
So there's some rain forecast at last, but with frost for Wednesday, and
thanks to a rather late start, I've still got lots of unripe tomatoes in
the
allotment. Some are that pale green, thinking about ripening colour, but
others are still very green. Should I just leave them and hope the frost
doesn't get them, or is it green tomato chutney time?

I guess the same question applies to the pumpkins (or what ever they are -
they're not orange!) and spuds (green tops, showing no signs of yellowing
yet)

Thanks

Martin

"Spider" wrote in message
...
I suggest you harvest your tomatoes and put them in a drawer/box with a
banana. The ethylene (sp?) gas given off by the bananas will encourage
the
tomatoes to ripen. If you leave them outside 'on the vine' in wet weather
you are risking blight.

Thanks Spider. I do know about the banana/ethylene thing The tomatoes
are in upright cold frames. Would you still take them in?

Ophelia

"Spider" wrote in message
...
I suggest you harvest your tomatoes and put them in a drawer/box with a
banana. The ethylene (sp?) gas given off by the bananas will encourage
the
tomatoes to ripen. If you leave them outside 'on the vine' in wet weather
you are risking blight.

I didn't see the OP but I bring in green tomatoes along with the ripe ones
and leave them in a basket in the kitchen - no special treatment.

In time they all ripen, we usually eat the last on Christmas Eve with the
pork pie.

Mary

"Spider" wrote in message
...
I suggest you harvest your tomatoes and put them in a drawer/box with a
banana. The ethylene (sp?) gas given off by the bananas will encourage
the
tomatoes to ripen. If you leave them outside 'on the vine' in wet weather
you are risking blight.

I didn't see the OP but I bring in green tomatoes along with the ripe ones
and leave them in a basket in the kitchen - no special treatment.

In time they all ripen, we usually eat the last on Christmas Eve with the
pork pie.

Mary

"Spider" wrote in message
...
I suggest you harvest your tomatoes and put them in a drawer/box with a
banana. The ethylene (sp?) gas given off by the bananas will encourage
the
tomatoes to ripen. If you leave them outside 'on the vine' in wet weather
you are risking blight.

I didn't see the OP but I bring in green tomatoes along with the ripe ones
and leave them in a basket in the kitchen - no special treatment.

In time they all ripen, we usually eat the last on Christmas Eve with the
pork pie.

Mary

"Mary Fisher" wrote in message
t...
I didn't see the OP but I bring in green tomatoes along with the ripe ones
and leave them in a basket in the kitchen - no special treatment.

Mary

--

Mine seem to go mouldy after a couple of weeks. Do you do anything special
to them to make them keep so long?

Martin & Anna Sykes

http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~sykesm

"Martin Sykes" wrote in message
...
"Mary Fisher" wrote in message
t...
I didn't see the OP but I bring in green tomatoes along with the ripe
ones
and leave them in a basket in the kitchen - no special treatment.

Mary

--

Mine seem to go mouldy after a couple of weeks. Do you do anything special
to them to make them keep so long?

Nothing. I do it with greenhouse and outdoor tomatoes.

But they are still on the stems so not all touching and I remove any damaged
ones immediately - and use them :-)

Mary

Martin & Anna Sykes

http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~sykesm

"Spider" wrote
I'm concerned about your spuds. If you mean the tubers are entirely green
then they will be poisonous.

What I meant in the original post is all the _foliage_ is still green
(indeed with the odd flower - I did say they'd gone in late), not the
tubers! I may know more about computers than gardening, but I think even
I'd be worried if the spuds themselves were green ;-) Actually, I've got no
idea what colour they are, or if they even exist - I've been very good and
not peeked yet

Sorry for the confusion

Martin

"Martin Richards" wrote in message
...
"Spider" wrote
I'm concerned about your spuds. If you mean the tubers are entirely
green
then they will be poisonous.

What I meant in the original post is all the _foliage_ is still green
(indeed with the odd flower - I did say they'd gone in late), not the
tubers! I may know more about computers than gardening, but I think even
I'd be worried if the spuds themselves were green ;-) Actually, I've got
no
idea what colour they are, or if they even exist - I've been very good and
not peeked yet

Even if they were green you'd have to eat an awful lot to be poisoned.
Pregnant women, I understand, are the most vulnerable to this.

I've been eating them for years and am still here.

Mary

Sorry for the confusion

Martin

I didn't see the OP but I bring in green tomatoes along with the ripe
ones
and leave them in a basket in the kitchen - no special treatment.

Mine seem to go mouldy after a couple of weeks. Do you do anything
special
to them to make them keep so long?

Nothing. I do it with greenhouse and outdoor tomatoes.

But they are still on the stems so not all touching and I remove any
damaged
ones immediately - and use them :-)

One wonders how, if the tomatoes are in a basket in the kitchen with the
ripe ones, the poster manages to keep them seperate and not at all touching.
Must be a very large basket

Ophelia