Tomatoes

[new2garden]

This is my first attempt at a vegetable garden.
When is the correct time to pick tomatoes. I have beefsteak and cherry tomatoes.
The beefsteak I picked this morning had rotted on the underside. It seems to be the only one affected, although the others have not turned red yet.

Trish

[Mervyn]

The rotting on the underside of your tomato is most likely blossom end rot , normally cause by calcium deficiency, iregular waters can also be cause of it, as well as too much nitrogen and potassium, if it's only one fruit though, I wouln't be too concerned about it.

More info can be found here ( just a page I found googling

http://gardenline.usask.ca/veg/blossom.html

As for when to pick em, pick em when they are ripe When they reach a good red colour , but make sure to pick them before they are too soft.

They do ripen off the vine if you pick them too early or accidently knock a green one off.. so if it gets late in the year, and there is going to be a bad frost you can pick em green.

[new2garden]

Thanks for the info/website link. My fear is excessive water with all the heavy rain we have been getting.

Trish

[patgeorge]

If you have to pick them green, put them in a dark place at room temperature and they will ripen. A drawer in the bedroom is quite a good place. Ethylene gas acts as a hormone to cause ripening. Commercial growers use canisters of the gas; but you can get the same effect by putting a ripe banana in with the tomatoes. It gives off minute quantities of the gas

[Pepper]

Hi Trish - Yesterday I picked my first 2 tomatoes too and they were also afflicted with the dreaded blossom end rot - still was able to eat 3/4 of the tomato though, so all is not lost.

I had thought our weather this summer would be perfect for the tomatoes, but like you said, I think there was just a little too much rain.

Hope you're enjoying your first foray into vegetable gardening - there's nothing more satisfying than eating your own vegetables! What else did you grow?

Pepper

[new2garden]

Thanks for all the great advice. Considering it has rained each day since my original post, I'll have a chance to try all the remedies.
All is not lost, my cherry tomatoes seem unaffected. Had a wonderful salad tonight from my other garden successes.

Pepper, I also planted carrots, fava beans, mixed lettuces, green onions and a pumpkin just for fun. Thanks for asking!

I am amazed how much can be produced from a garden 6'x10'.

Trish

[Pansy]

This has not been a good year for Tommytoes,mine are all still green & the bottom leaves

are yellow from to much rain.The peppers,swiss chard,lettuce & all are fine though.