Ripeness

[SCgardener]

Do ya'll pick your tomatoes before they're all the way ripe or do you let them get fully ripened on the vine?Just curious,I've been picking mine the setting them window ledge inside until fully ripe,but I run out of windows

[Crandrew]

I do both. I check daily and I remove half and keep half. That way just in case the critters or birds decide to bother me they wont get the whole lot.

regarding you running out of window sill, I highly suggest you read up on the methods. I dont place them in the sun, in fact I place them in the dark.

http://extension.oregonstate.edu/gardening/node/922

"Place mature green tomatoes in thick straw or in shallow box in a room, shed or garage, where the temperature ranges from 55 to 70 degrees. They will ripen over a period of three to four weeks. Place newspaper between rows of tomatoes, or wrap them individually to prevent decay from spreading from fruit to fruit if you are storing them in boxes. Sunlight is not needed to ripen tomatoes; they ripen best in the dark. Tomatoes may suffer from chilling injury at temperatures below 50 degrees if held there for longer than two weeks, or at 41 degrees for longer than 6-8 days. Chilling injury may prevent your green, mature tomatoes from ripening and keep them from developing their full color and flavor. It may also cause them to spoil more rapidly. Remember to store only tomatoes that have not been exposed to frost. Cold damage, including frost and cooler temperatures, is cumulative and may have happened prior to harvest, out in the garden.
Check your stored tomatoes every few days for signs of decay. Dispose of damaged fruit immediately"

[SCgardener]

Thanks for link.Pretty interesting.As far as the critters go,I just give them the tomatoes that are split/cracked really bad.I keep the rest>ive been gardening for about 3yrs now,well...besides my childhood with my grandparents..and I've done better this year with tomatoes than ever.Still need a lot of help,but I'm learning again.