Everyone wants to quickly enjoy the taste of tomatoes grown with their own hands. But sometimes it happens that the fruits ripen very slowly. This is especially true for late varieties that ripen closer to autumn.
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Today we decided to talk about the reasons for the long ripening of tomatoes and ways to speed up the reddening of the fruit.
Why tomatoes don't ripen
Before we look at ways to speed up the ripening of tomatoes, let’s look at the reasons for their delayed redness.
Firstly, this is an incorrectly selected variety. Late-ripening tomato varieties have a longer growing season and take longer to ripen than early and mid-ripening varieties.
Therefore, it is very important to choose the right variety for your climate zone.
Secondly, the reason for the long ripening of fruits may be a cold and short summer.
Tomatoes are a heat-loving crop. For normal development and fruiting, the plant needs a warm summer with plenty of sun and pleasant temperatures.
If this is not the case, then the fruits will take a long time to fill. In addition, their taste will suffer.
Harvest time
Regular harvesting of fruits is very important for obtaining a high-quality harvest. Fruits must be picked at the stage of technological maturity of tomatoes, which is divided into the following stages:
- partial ripening of fruits;
- full ripeness of the fruit.
The fruits, pink when cut, are already quite suitable for eating. Selective harvesting at partial maturity can significantly increase the total yield. Tomatoes that are overripe on the bushes lose their taste and reduce overall yield. The saturated green fruits can be left on tomato bushes until the first days of September.
The earliest harvesting of greenhouse tomatoes involves the use of early-ripening and ultra-early-ripening varieties
How to speed up the ripening of tomatoes in open ground
Next, let's look at some proven methods that will help tomatoes turn red faster.
Removing stepchildren
This procedure helps to thin out tomato plantings and provide the fruits with the necessary level of light for ripening.
Breakage of leaves on the lower tiers
Old leaves take up too much nutrition and energy. As a result, practically nothing reaches the fruits located on the upper tiers. Gradually pick off the leaves under the fruits, and they will begin to ripen faster.
Pinching the top of the head
In the last ten days of July and early August, you can pinch to stop the growth of the tomato.
As a result, nutrients will begin to spread throughout the plant, including the fruits.
Pick brown tomatoes
If the tomatoes begin to turn red, pick them every 3-4 days. If you wait until they are completely ripe on the branch, you will have to wait even longer for the next fruits.
Treatment with compounds that accelerate ripening
You can speed up the process of reddening of tomatoes by spraying with special compounds. Let's look at some of the most popular ones:
- Iodine water. You need 30 drops per bucket of water. Apply in the morning or evening after the heat of the day has subsided.
- Magnesium sulfate. You need 2 teaspoons of the drug per bucket of water.
- Superphosphate. Fertilizer is prepared in several stages. First, 2 tablespoons of the drug are dissolved in 2 liters of water and left to infuse for a day. Then the volume of working fluid is increased to 10 liters and the tomatoes are sprayed.
- Potassium humate. The working solution is prepared according to the instructions. Treatment can be carried out every ten days.
Watering with special compounds
In addition to spraying, tomatoes can be watered to speed up ripening. Let's look at some compositions.
- Pink solution of potassium permanganate. Used for irrigation when spraying is not possible.
- Ash infusion. Pour a glass of ash into a bucket and leave for 2 hours. Afterwards, water the tomatoes and feed them with ash infusion at the rate of 1 liter per 1 bush.
Covering tomatoes
Caring for tomatoes after planting
To get maximum results when growing tomatoes, vegetable growers try to normalize the number of stems by pinching off excess shoots. An obligatory step when caring for tomatoes in a greenhouse, which should not be skipped, is the formation of a bush. When the stepsons are not cut off in time, the side branches quickly grow and begin to actively feed, taking nutrients from the shoots on which the ovary is formed.
If you plant tomatoes in a greenhouse, remove the stepsons, not allowing them to grow to 4 cm, pinch the top bud, otherwise you should not count on a harvest and large fruits even with proper care. One stem and up to 7 formed clusters are left on the bush; for standard varieties - no more than 4.
How to properly water tomatoes in a greenhouse
In addition to regulating the number of branches, caring for vegetable crops includes loosening, fertilizing, irrigation, and preventing diseases and pests. To moisturize, which is started in the evening, water is heated in the sun during the day and poured under the root, trying to prevent drops from getting on the stems and leaves to avoid burns.
The plants are irrigated for the first time 10 days after planting in the greenhouse, then every week, in hot and dry weather, when the ovary appears, after three or four days. To wet the soil to the required depth, pour half a bucket of water under the bush.
How to fertilize tomatoes in a greenhouse
Part of the nutritional components of tomatoes, which are grown in the field or in the garden, are taken from fertile soil enriched with minerals. When caring for tomatoes planted in a greenhouse, you should pay more attention to fertilizer. When the bushes take root, which takes up to 3 weeks, 500 ml of cow manure and 20 g of ammonium sulfate are mixed in a bucket of water and added to each tomato.
For feeding II, which is started after 10–14 days, another nutrient solution is prepared. To replenish the needs of plants for components that improve flowering and ovary formation, pour 1 tbsp into 10 liters of water. a spoonful of potassium sulfate and superphosphate.
After 2 weeks, fertilizing is repeated with the same fertilizer, but a little ash is added, which contains various components in a form accessible to tomatoes, including:
- sulfur and boron;
- phosphorus and sodium;
- manganese and calcium.
The last feeding of tomatoes when grown in a greenhouse is done when the tomatoes begin to ripen and change color. The fertilizer is prepared by mixing one spoon of potassium humate and 2 superphosphates in a bucket of water.
How to grow tomatoes in a greenhouse
Since a prerequisite for obtaining a full-fledged tomato harvest is the fight against actively forming side shoots, care when growing tomatoes in a greenhouse begins after planting by tearing off the stepsons. Do this work every week, adhering to the following rules:
- After pinching the shoots, which is best done with your nails, your hands are disinfected.
- To make it easier to break off excess thin stems, begin manipulation in the morning.
- The lower branches are removed when the tomatoes are filled with juice and begin to ripen.
In order not to engage in pinching at all, it is recommended to opt for low-growing, dwarf varieties: White Naliv, Buyan, Boni MM, Danko, Dubok, Sanka, Krakowiak, Turboreaktivny, Chelnok and others.
Ventilation of tomatoes
At elevated temperatures, combined with excess humidity, fungi become active in the greenhouse and begin to multiply, causing late blight in nightshade crops. To prevent tomatoes from becoming infected with a dangerous disease, ventilation is required after each irrigation.
When growing tomatoes, it is recommended to maintain the humidity in the greenhouse at a level not exceeding 65%, and to avoid condensation when caring for the crop. In the absence of normal conditions for development, even tomatoes that do not suffer from late blight will not be pleased with sweet and juicy fruits.
How to tie up tomatoes in a greenhouse
When planting low-growing varieties of nightshade crops, iron rods or wooden slats are driven into the ground near each bush, rising above the tomatoes by at least 20 cm. Tomato stems are attached to the pegs.
Gartering tall bushes is considered one of the most labor-intensive operations in caring for tomatoes.
When growing indeterminate varieties in a greenhouse, trellises 2 m high are installed, wire is pulled between strong slats, and tomato shoots entwine the support.
How to speed up the ripening of tomatoes in a greenhouse
In principle, everything that has been said for tomatoes growing in a garden is also true for bushes growing in a greenhouse.
But still, we will describe in more detail everything you need to know about stimulating ripening in a greenhouse.
- Be sure to carry out pinching and pinching the top of the head. These procedures will help redistribute nutrients and direct their flow to the redness of the tomatoes.
- Maintain the temperature around 25 degrees. This is the optimal temperature for the tomatoes to plump and ripen. Temperatures below 20 and above 35 stop the life processes inside the tomato.
- Provide the required level of illumination for plantings. The fruits of this crop need sun to turn red. If there is not enough of it, the fruits will turn red for a very long time.
- Using a smoke bomb. During the combustion process, carbon dioxide will be released, which tomatoes need to accelerate ripening.
Factors influencing the ripening of tomatoes
Having figured out when to harvest tomatoes in a greenhouse, you need to become more familiar with the factors that influence the immediate ripening of tomatoes. The most important thing is the conditions under which vegetables are kept.
Important! An unventilated cold room can very quickly provoke the appearance of rot and even various types of fungus on the surface of the peel.
Factors that influence the ripening of tomatoes grown in greenhouse conditions:
- belonging of fruits to certain varieties. There are both early and late varieties, the ripening period of each of them, of course, differs from each other. Therefore, it is necessary to select special varieties for greenhouses and certain regions;
- correct feeding. The mineral content must be calculated in advance. Moreover, for each period of plant development, the dosage and type of feeding must be changed. Before picking tomatoes for ripening, they must have time to receive all the necessary nutrients;
- It is necessary to carry out pinching of the bushes, otherwise the extra shoots will take away all the minerals and vitamins for themselves. The processes in the sinuses must be removed as soon as they grow more than 5 cm;
- after harvesting the fruits, they must be allowed to dry completely before sending them for ripening;
- the temperature in the room where the tomatoes will be sent for storage should not be lower than 14 °C.
Important! A well-known fact: the higher the temperature, the faster the tomatoes ripen. However, they may lose their elasticity and juiciness, so it should not be higher than 26 °C. It is necessary to open the room for ventilation.
Vegetables should not be wet
Proper watering during tomato ripening
During the ripening period, watering tomato beds can be reduced. The specific moisture regime depends on the varietal characteristics.
So, low-growing specimens can be stopped watering altogether in 3-4 weeks. But for tall tomatoes, watering needs to be reduced. You need to carry out the procedure twice a week (or even less often), but pour a little more water than usual.
Why do tomatoes not turn red for a long time on the bush?
The life cycle of a tomato is simple: in the first 30 days the vegetable grows and increases in size, and in the next 20-25 days it becomes plump and turns red. The most delicious and healthy tomato is the one that turns red in the garden. This is why it is so important to pick ripe tomatoes.
By the way, the scarlet color is not always appetizing - it is necessarily a sign of maturity. If you bought a miracle of foreign selection, a hybrid variety, then even a red tomato may be unsweetened and tasteless. What's the matter? When breeding a hybrid, breeders have to, among other things, influence the color gene. When the vegetable turns red, it is still in a state of technical ripeness. Therefore, when harvesting, be guided by the recommended harvest time.
green tomatoes
But let's return to the usual tomatoes. Common reasons for late ripening of tomatoes are as follows:
- You have selected mid-late, late-ripening or tomato varieties that are not suitable for your region. The most recommended for the Russian climate are ultra-early and early-ripening.
- The temperature in the greenhouse is either too low or too high. Suitable indicators for tomatoes are 22-29° C. If the temperature regime is disrupted, lycopene processes inside the fruit are disrupted.
- Excessive exposure to sunlight. The harvest burns out before it has time to turn red.
- Unsuitable microclimate. High humidity and sudden temperature changes also negatively affect ripening.
- Planting too thick. The distance between bushes should not be less than 30 cm.
- You used special means that stimulate the rapid and abundant development of the ovaries. But preparations such as “Ovary” or “Bud” contain gibberellic acids, which delay subsequent ripening.
- Incorrect fertilization scheme. If you overdo it with nitrogen, the leaves will take on a grayish-golden color, and the reddening of the crop will slow down. A slowdown in ripening is also observed with potassium deficiency - it is combined with “woodiness” of the shoots.
What not to do when the tomatoes are ripe
Now let’s look at what not to do when tomato fruits turn red.
- Eliminate nitrogen from the plant diet. This microelement is needed for the growth of green mass, but not for the ripening of fruits. In addition, nitrogen worsens the taste of tomatoes.
- Reduce watering. Tomatoes now have absolutely no use for excess moisture. The procedure may cause the fruit to burst.
- Eliminate organic fertilizers.
Removing leaves
The gradual removal of leaves to the cluster that is just beginning to ripen also promotes accelerated ripening of fruits. Since tomatoes ripen from the bottom to the top, gradual pruning of leaves should begin from the bottom.
However, if there is extreme heat, this procedure should be abandoned, especially on the south side of the row: in the heat, the leaves protect the fruits from sunburn. If the summer turns out to be cool, an operation such as removing leaves will significantly speed up the ripening of the crop.
Traditional methods for accelerating the ripening of tomatoes
Summer residents have come up with quite a few unusual ways to speed up the ripening of tomatoes. Let's look at some of them.
Stimulation with ripe fruits
The essence of the method is that ripe fruits of other berries and fruits are hung on tomato beds. They release ethylene into the atmosphere, which accelerates the ripening of fruits.
Piercing
Disinfect a toothpick with alcohol and pierce the fruit in several places around the stem. The puncture does not need to be larger than 10 mm.
It has been noted that pierced tomatoes ripen faster.
ON A NOTE. Please note that such tomatoes will not have a marketable appearance. The method is applicable only to fruits that will be processed or eaten.
Through cut
At a level of 15-20 cm from the ground, a sharp knife is used to make a through puncture in the main shoot of the bush. Then a “spacer” (wooden stick) is inserted inside. This mobilizes all the forces of the plant to bear fruit.
REFERENCE. If you insert a piece of copper wire into such a puncture, this will protect the bush from late blight and other fungal diseases.
Vodka “vaccinations”
You can speed up fruit ripening with vodka injections. You only need 0.5 ml for each fruit. Alcohol stimulates ripening.
Damage to small roots
Quite an unusual way. You need to grab the stem and pull the plant out of the ground until it cracks. This means that small roots have been damaged. Now the energy will be redirected to the fruits.
IMPORTANT! This method is very controversial. We do not recommend using it unless you have sufficient experience growing tomatoes.
Turning towards the sun
Remove any leaves that protect the tomatoes from the sun. Rotate the brushes and fix them so that they are always illuminated.
Ripening time
Of course, in closed ground, plants form fruits faster, and their ripening period is much shorter than when growing tomatoes outdoors. How long it takes from germination to fruiting depends on the variety or hybrid. Growing hybrid plants is considered the most profitable from an economic point of view in conditions of short and cool summers.
Hybrid seeds are designated by the manufacturer on the packaging as F1. Experienced vegetable growers already have their own preferences in varieties and hybrids. It is not easy for summer residents who are beginning to grow tomatoes to understand the huge assortment of seeds, and in the pursuit of a large harvest, mistakes are sometimes made that affect the number of formed and ripened fruits.
There are several unpretentious varieties and hybrids that novice vegetable growers are especially successful in growing. Such tomatoes are not only advantageous for their early ripening, but also form a friendly and large harvest of high-quality marketable fruits. These varieties and hybrids include tomato seeds “Typhoon”, “Semko”, “Verilioka” and “Druzhok”. To obtain a very early harvest and minimize the time spent on ripening, it is recommended to plant the varieties “Uragan”, “Samara”, “Yantarny” and “Junior”.
It is very important to remember that the earliest ripening is typical for varieties belonging to the determinate type. However, the indeterminate type of tomatoes produces a more abundant harvest. If it is necessary to grow an unpretentious, abundantly fruiting and early-ripening plant, preference should be given to modern zoned hybrids. Knowing how long the growing season takes, it is quite easy to determine the timing of planting such tomatoes.
How to ripen green tomatoes
You can also pick green tomatoes and then ripen them at home.
Milky-wax specimens are suitable. Elastic and dry. That is, the fruits should already be almost ripe, just not reddened.
You need a box or wooden box where unripe fruits are placed in one layer. Then the box is placed in a dark place with high humidity.
The advantage of this method is that you can control the speed at which the tomatoes turn red. In warm conditions (25-30 degrees), the fruits will ripen quickly, in 3 days. In cool weather (+10) for a week and a half.
ON A NOTE. There is another way. Bushes are pulled out of the ground and hung upside down indoors.
Ripening tomatoes
Ripening is an integral part of storing tomatoes for many gardeners, as it allows them to extend their shelf life to two and a half months. For comfortable ripening, tomatoes will need the following conditions:
- The most important nuance in extending the ripening period is adjusting the temperature in storage. It should not rise above ten to twelve degrees for green-ripe specimens. Ripe tomatoes will need zero temperatures to maintain their quality. It should be remembered that some tomatoes can be susceptible to rotting even at low temperatures;
Important! Before ripening, it is necessary to carefully examine and sort all the tomatoes. Only those fruits that have no signs of mechanical damage, diseases or cracks are allowed for both short-term and long-term storage. During storage, the stalk should be separated only if it comes off easily.
Common mistakes
In an effort to speed up the ripening of tomatoes, gardeners often make mistakes. Let's sort them out.
- Excessive watering. This is the most common and most serious mistake. When a summer resident sees that the fruits do not want to turn red, he thinks that they do not have enough water. But excessive watering only leads to cracking of the fruit.
- No procedures are carried out at all. Left to their own devices, tomatoes will take a very long time to ripen.
- Growing unsuitable varieties. Not everywhere in Russia you can grow late-ripening varieties of tomatoes. In many regions, tomatoes simply do not have time to ripen.
- Organic feeding. Tomatoes do not need excess nutrients at the fruit ripening stage.
Advantages and disadvantages of greenhouse cultivation
Advantages of growing tomatoes in a greenhouse:
- The harvest ripens earlier than in open ground, because seedlings are planted already in April;
- Fresh tomatoes can be obtained throughout the year if the greenhouse is heated;
- Tomatoes taste better than store-bought ones;
- The fruits contain all vitamins and microelements;
- The seedlings are protected from the scorching sun, attacks by pests, frost and excess rainfall;
- For planting, capricious varieties can be selected that will produce the most delicious tomatoes and a rich harvest;
- The effectiveness of using drugs against pests and diseases in a greenhouse is higher than in open ground.
The disadvantages of growing tomatoes in a greenhouse include:
- To grow tomatoes, you need to build special greenhouses, the cost of which is high.
- The polycarbonate from which greenhouses are made requires maintenance in spring and autumn.
- The soil requires constant feeding with nutrients or regular updating.
Answers to frequently asked questions
Tomatoes don't turn red, what should I do?
Stimulate their maturation using any method available to you. You can pick green fruits and ripen them at home.
Is it possible to pick green fruits?
Yes. If they have acquired a milky-waxy tint. You can put them in a box and they will ripen there.
Do I need to pick off the leaves?
It is advisable, but there is no need to cut everything off. Just tear off everything below the first bunch of tomatoes.
Topping tomatoes
In mid-August, I remove the growing points on the bushes, that is, absolutely all the formed stepsons on the left trunks and basal shoots, if any. And most importantly, I forcefully top the bushes, that is, I cut off the tops of each trunk, leaving no more than 2-3 leaves above the topmost well-formed brush. These leaves will work on the filling and ripening of the fruits of the upper cluster.
When I remove all the growing points and the tops of the stems, all the nutrition that was previously spent on their development will be spent on the ripening of the already full fruits and on the accumulation of sugar in them.
How to add sweetness to tomato fruits
