[Nomad]

I live in zone 5 and have picked one ripe tomato so far. It was an Early Girl. My Better Boys are all still totally green. Is it just me, or has anyone else experienced the same thing in this area? I even got the plants in the ground earlier than usual this year. Sure wish they'd hurry. Ain't nuthin better than a platter full and a salt shaker. Yummmmmmmeeeeeee! Mighty fine eatin. :dance:


Nomad

 

[katydidagain]

The last 2 years have been a bit strange weatherwise; I've lost breba fig crops due to wet, rainy and cool conditions.

Have I had a garden tomato yet? No. Plants I grew and transplanted a month later than normal are covered with hard green orbs; I wasn't expecting anything from them yet. What amazes me is grape tomato volunteers are just slightly ahead of the others--I'm eagerly watching one little fruit redden. Last year I was sick of tomatoes by this time!

katy

 

[diane]

Here in southcentral Michigan the only tomatoes I have seen have been from plants begun in greenhouses far ahead of the norm. Some of the Amish around me do that and can get a great price. Mine are looking wonderful, big plants, lots of big green tomatoes; but nothing ripening except on the sweet million that I grew in the house all winter. Too wet and cold I think.

 

[coalroadcabin]

Here in zone 6. We got our first ripe tomato a couple of weeks ago and they have been coming in in ones and twos until this week. We picked 2 bushels Monday night-made sauce w/ one and gave the other to my mother in law. We usually have them starting to come in by the 4th of July so we're a bit behind. My husband starts his own plants and puts them out as early as possible with wall-o-waters.

 

[countrygrrrl]

I think it's been way too cool here this year for the tomatoes and everything else.

I picked my first ripe one several days ago. Of course, it was from an heirloom and (if I read here correctly ), those heirlooms can take a lot longer to produce fruit. Still, my *normal* tomato plants only began producing a week or so ago.

So now, I have a mess of green tomatoes --- and they're ripening bit by bit. And coming in much later than I ever remember.

I've been having similar problems with flowers -- the plants are nice and big and healthy but minimal flowers, except whenever we have a tiny hot spell.

AND my forsythia bloomed a week or so ago. ?

Around here, the weather has really confused the plants. Or so it seems.

 

[tobo6]

I'm in NW Oregon, and I just have small green orbs starting. My beef tomato's are actually a little bigger than my early girls, and no cherry tomato's to speak of. Plant growth was pretty slow, up until a week ago, and they are getting bigger by the day. I'm so anxious to eat tomato's, it's not even funny! :haha:

I'm proud to say that my corn is now up to my waist!!! Sure beats growing to my knee's and stopping, lol. Peas did good, radishes did good, carrots are still growing but I'm not impressed yet. Pumpkins are invading our homestead, and cucumbers are just now growing and blooming after being attacked by slugs, and being replanted. Everything else, well.....they are pretty plants but I don't hold much hope for them!

Deb

 

[YuccaFlatsRanch]

I know there is a good reason I live in the hill country of Texas!!!!!

I NORMALLY have my first tomatoes by 15 May. Late this year until mid-june, but lots now and the fall tomato plants are already in and up about 2 feet. Will get tomatoes until late October - last on 7 December 2 years ago.

 

[Mel-]

I'm in indiana and just now starting to get some cherry tomatoes and had one small early girl earlier this week but that's it. plants tall and big. think it's been a little too cool but I'd love to have summers like this every year!

mel-

 

[steff bugielski]

I too am in zone 5 , in southern NY. Tons of green ones but not even a hint of a blush on any. The weeds though are doing just great with all this rain.
steff

 

[Bama-Mama]

mmm mmm green tomatoes, slice them, dunk them in some egg and then into some corn meal and fry them up! Or if your plants are tall enough, pinch out the tops of them, this will make them ripen quicker. All that nourishment they are using to grow taller will be diverted to the fruits and they will ripen quicker.

Bama

 

[coalroadcabin]

mmmmmmmmm........fried green tomatoes. Yum! Best I've ever had were in Charleston SC - Shrimp 'n Grits w/ fried green tomatoes on the side! I'm getting hungry-guess I should visit the food forum!

 

[suelandress]

we're borderlin zone 5 and 6, but in a frost pocket. Not even our early girls have ripened, but I did get 3 romas and TONS of cherry tomatoes. The cherry toms are growing in clay pots on the deck rails and I think the clay warming during the day has helped greatly.

 

[whiterock]

I have a FEW green ones. Too wet early and too hot now.

 

[Bluecreekrog]

I picked my first tomatos this week, gonna have tons, but not for a while yet.

 

[suelandress]

They're starting! What a difference a few days make! Picked about 3 dozen romas this morning. All into the freezer till I have enough for sauce :worship:

 

[countrygrrrl]

I have a mess I'm going to be picking tonight. All are almost TOTALLY ripe and a few are pure, bright red --- vine ripened --- and not an oddball, cracked, goofy looking or bug ridden one in the bunch.

Despite being heirlooms. :yeeha: And despite having used no fertilizers or insecticides on them all summer.

Interestingly, the *normal* tomatoes haven't yet ripened, although they have lots of fruit. So the heirlooms beat the normals in fruit production and ripening. :yeeha:

 

[Shahbazin]

Mine are all heirlooms, that I started from seed, but it frosts here pretty late, so I didn't transfer them out into the garden until May. We just started getting tomatoes about a week ago - lots of red enterprize & (thanks seed exchange!) black krim. The other plants have varying amounts of green tomatoes on them. I don't do any fertilizer or bug spray either - never had any problems, the lizards help out I think, & the occasional hornworm gets thrown to the chickens. They're mulched with stuff from the sheep barn.

 

[Guest]

I live in Zone 4 and am having the same problems with my tomatoes...not many and the few I have are hard and green. The weather man says today will be our last day in the 80s for a while - we'll see.

What can I do to help the tomatoes that need to ripen more. I still have lots of blooms that may fruit - but not if temps are cooling more and more. Should I cover the tomatoes at night now to help them out a little and not lose any of the crop? We're usually sick to death of tomatoes by this time and already canning...what should I do?