Should I pick these?

[westocast73]

Hello All , Well I finally have Tomatoes!!! My first ones ever and now the question is are they ready to be picked and brought in to finish ripening. I have never grown Tomatoes before so I am not sure what to do and am a very very nervous father . The varieties I have to decide on right now are Tigerella and Purple Price. I thinkthe Tigerella is deffinetly ready to be picked and am worried if I leave it much longer the Squirrels ( who eat all my Hazelnuts ) will find the tomatoes like they found all the sunflowers last year. I usually dont mind them but if they ate my first tomato it would be tragic. So my question is do you think these tomatoes are ready to be brought in or should I hold off a little longer. The purple price doesnt look like the seed packet yet so I am not sure if thats ready or what an am hoping someone else is more familiar with it. Thank you!


Purple Price





Tigerella

[bully]

After waiting all year, I would say pick them and give them a try

They look great!

[westocast73]

Done. The Tigerella fell off in my hand as soon as I touched it so I guess it was ripe . I might leave the Purple Price another day as today is suppose to be very good for growing ( our newspaper rates each day on a scale of 1 to 5 for plant Growth based on a variety of factors and Today is only our third 5 day of the year so... )

The Tigerella I will leave for one day on the counter just to get rid of the little bit of green on the shoulders ( I want my first tom to be perfect )

Hehe so thrilled to have a tomato I grew sitting beside the store bought tom. Poor poor store bought tomato has no idea how he has just been knocked down 50 pegs as the prodigy son has finally arrived. :wink:

[pooklette]

Originally Posted by westocast73

Hehe so thrilled to have a tomato I grew sitting beside the store bought tom. Poor poor store bought tomato has no idea how he has just been knocked down 50 pegs as the prodigy son has finally arrived. :wink:

Poor store bought tomato indeed. I never realized how blah grocery store tomatoes were until I picked my first ever ripe tomato from my own garden. Now, I see grocery store tomatoes and think...huh, mine are bigger...mine are sweeter...mine were vine ripened. The poor grocer's fare just can't compete. :wink:

[westocast73]

pooklette I still havent eaten my first home grown tomato ( made my breakfest with the store bought one and ended his misery ) but tomorrow morning its BLT time .

It could taste like used chewing tobacco stored in a gym sock and I will still love it. I have worried about these plants all spring and summer and it just absolutely thrills me I actually have one sitting on my kitchen counter! It must be like having your first child :wink: .

Cigars for Everyone!

[feldon30]

I'm sure you know you can safely pick the tomatoes a few days prior to full ripeness and continue to ripen them in the kitchen with no discernable difference in flavor. A nearly ripe tomato can split if it rains too much.

Just depends if there is more chance of critters in the garden getting them, or 2-legged critters getting to them in the kitchen.

[dcarch]

Originally Posted by westocast73

It must be like having your first child :wink: .

Cigars for Everyone!

dcarch