Picking Tomatoes

Discussion in 'Fruit and Veg Gardening' started by avidcat, Jun 16, 2006.

  1. avidcat

    avidcat New Seed

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    So this is the first garden I had in a bit, when is the best time to pick tomatoes. Do they need to be very red, firm?

    We planted Roma and patio tomatoes.

    Thanks,
    Nick
     
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  3. eileen

    eileen Resident Taxonomist Staff Member Moderator Plants Contributor

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    Hi AC. I pick mine when they're red, firm and come away from the plant with ease. If you have to tug on them then they're not quite ready. Hope this helps. :-D
     
  4. avidcat

    avidcat New Seed

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    Thanks. Also how often do you water? We are doing it just once a night at sunset, but we are giving them plenty of water.
     
  5. eileen

    eileen Resident Taxonomist Staff Member Moderator Plants Contributor

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    That should be fine AC but remember when the fruits form it's also good to give them a liquid feed every few days as it encourages the plant to produce bigger and better tomatoes. I use an organic feed that's actually made from tomatoes but Tomorite or something similar is fine. Most garden centres have feed and it's not too expensive either.
     



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  6. glendann

    glendann Official Garden Angel

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    I have tomatoes planted at different times so they don't all make at once.I will pull tomatoes early if I have bug are grasshopper problems .Just put them in a sunny window and they will ripen nicely.You are watering right just feed them as they start produceing and you will get lots of yield from them.
     
  7. SwissCharrd

    SwissCharrd New Seed

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    Pick a Peck of Tomatoes

    I just read that at first if you leave a couple ripe tomatoes on the plant it encourages the others one to ripen also. Some type of super magic tomato gas drifts off the ripe ones. :D
     
  8. avidcat

    avidcat New Seed

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    I have 4 tomatoe plants growing good in our garden, how long do they live for and produce fruit?

    Our Roma plant is aobut 5 feet tall and only has 2 tomatoes so far on it, but the patio tomatoes are about 2 feet tall and have over 20 tomatoes.
     
  9. eileen

    eileen Resident Taxonomist Staff Member Moderator Plants Contributor

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    Once your plants have finished fruiting they tend to die back naturally Avidcat. I always plant new seeds every year - sometimes from the fruits of the previous years plants if they did well.
    I have three yellow tomato plants at the moment and they are weighed down with fruit. It shouldn't be long now until I can pick them. :D
     
  10. Hank

    Hank Seedling

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    Wow, a 5 ft tall Roma. Again, I'm jealous (derned short Wisconsin summers :-? ).

    Have you been feeding with a fertilizer prior to blossoming? If so, that will lead to a monster plant with smaller or fewer fruit. I fertilize right when planted, then leave them be until the fruits are set, then I really give the fertilizer to them.
     

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