Ripening

[uzlaguzla]

I have approx 110 tomato plants comprised of 25 dif varieties. We have had 90 plus days for at least 10 days. My fruit is large and beautiful but is not ripening compared to past seasons. Do extreme temps delay ripening?

[Labradors2]

I have read that very hot temperatures CAN delay ripening. I would pick some of the fruit that has blushed and try ripening it inside.

Linda

[biscuitridge]

For us giant growers we hate the heat,it speeds up ripening tremendously, and that is the last thing that we want.

[slugworth]

Same problem here.
I had a green tomato fall off a plant.
No sign of blush.
Even the cherry tomatoes are still green.

[Koala Doug]

Originally Posted by uzlaguzla

Do extreme temps delay ripening?

It can, but I typically see heatwaves prematurely ripening the fruit.

From my observations, the tiny fruit (think 'pea-sized') kind of go into a stasis when a heatwave hits. Those fruit tend to take a while to get going again.

For fruit that are larger (like 'golf ball size' and bigger) when the heatwave hits, they tend to ripen very early. Case in point, my first and only ripe fruit so far this year was a ten-ounce OTV Brandywine. I picked it yesterday, 58 days from transplant (and 110 days from germination) - that was quite a surprise. In a year with more moderate/normal temperatures, that fruit would likely take a few more weeks to ripen and grow to be notably larger. Mother Nature is a fickle mistress.

[slugworth]

I've had green tomatoes (cherry and others) since june.
They aren't following the rules.
I've never seen heat ripen tomatoes faster.
Even the phoenix are taking forever.
Maybe by labor day.

[uzlaguzla]

My cantaloupes are also slow to set fruit.

[uzlaguzla]

I have watered since the inception of the heatwave. In that time we have only had 1/10" of rain.