Old tomatoes on the vine

Ruth_10 · July 22, 2011

Here's a question about tomato production: does picking off ripe (or ripening) fruits stimulate further production of tomatoes? Or, put another way, does leaving tomatoes on the vine past the ripe stage cost you in further production for the plant?

Or are tomato plants programmed to produce a certain number of blossoms and the existing fruits don't matter? (I realize that there are many things that can prevent a blossom from producing a fruit, such as heat, humidity, hail, dogs--are mature fruits on the vine one of them?)

For many plants, successful generation of fruits (next year's seeds) compels the plant to stop wasting further energy on producing more seed.

Disclosure: I have been known to leave tomatoes on the vine when the season gets ahead of me.

Keiththibodeaux · July 22, 2011

A second question would be if picking ripe fruits also causes the remaining fruit to get bigger before ripening. I think I know the answer on both questions, but will happily wait for the experts to way in.

July 22, 2011	#1
Ruth_10 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: MO z6a near St. Louis Posts: 1,349	Old tomatoes on the vine Here's a question about tomato production: does picking off ripe (or ripening) fruits stimulate further production of tomatoes? Or, put another way, does leaving tomatoes on the vine past the ripe stage cost you in further production for the plant? Or are tomato plants programmed to produce a certain number of blossoms and the existing fruits don't matter? (I realize that there are many things that can prevent a blossom from producing a fruit, such as heat, humidity, hail, dogs--are mature fruits on the vine one of them?) For many plants, successful generation of fruits (next year's seeds) compels the plant to stop wasting further energy on producing more seed. Disclosure: I have been known to leave tomatoes on the vine when the season gets ahead of me. __________________ --Ruth Some say the glass half-full. Others say the glass is half-empty. To an engineer, it’s twice as big as it needs to be.

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July 22, 2011	#2
Keiththibodeaux Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Louisiana Posts: 587	A second question would be if picking ripe fruits also causes the remaining fruit to get bigger before ripening. I think I know the answer on both questions, but will happily wait for the experts to way in.