Gardening, gardening tips

3 Reasons Your Tomatoes Won’t Ripen

12 Comments

It’s the end of July, you planted your tomatoes over 2 months ago & the seed packet said you’d be able to harvest fruit in 60 days – why aren’t your tomatoes ripening & turning red?

There could be a few different factors playing a role in the ripening. But why do tomatoes turn red anyways?

  1. Temperature – This is the biggest factor in your tomatoes ripening. Here in Ohio, we typically don’t plant until around Mother’s Day. 60 days later we are expecting tomatoes; during the hottest time of the year. For the last week it has been over 90 degrees. The chemicals that make tomatoes red – lycopene & carotene – are only produced when the temperature is 50-85°F. If you’re outside of this range, the ripening process is on hold until you get some relief from the heat!
  2. Size/Variety – Size does matter when it comes to tomatoes ripening! I have already harvested some cherry tomatoes from rogue plants that grew from last year, but those Beefsteak tomatoes have got a ways to go! Patience, young grasshopper.
  3. Maturity Level – A little different from the previous point and maybe this seems a little common sense. Maturity is more than just the time a tomato spends on the vine. Again, the ripening process comes down to natural chemicals. When a tomato reaches maturity, it begins producing ethylene which then reacts with the tomatoes to cause them to turn red. You can use this knowledge to save any tomatoes that may have accidentally gotten knocked off the vine – put tomatoes in a paper bag & if they’re mature enough, they should produce ethylene and ripen over a few days.

Tomatoes are a tough crop to grow, but with a little patience & cooperation from Mother Nature, you can have salsa all summer! If you have any questions on How to Grow Tomatoes – check my guide here!

 

12 thoughts on “3 Reasons Your Tomatoes Won’t Ripen”

  1. hermitsdoor – Up here in the mountains, we have a saying, "You can't get there from here", which really means "We wouldn't go the trouble to do that". Another concept is that "If you don't know, we ain't telling." For the rest, you'll have to read between the lines.
    hermitsdoor says:

    We have found that good hygiene (cleaning our tomato cages before planting) and pruning (bottom branches that tend fade and trap moisture) keep our plant in good shape until the season for harvest. Then it is a matter of keeping up with the ripening fruit. – Oscar

    Reply
  2. writegardener – Sans Sun – I am a gardener in love with the spirit of Nature --- plant, animal, human, medical, you name it --- it's the most natural teacher for righting one's life. This blog offers those insights and inspirations as well as an occasional musing about subjects that touch me deeply.
    writegardener says:

    Thanks for visiting my blog which inevitably led me to yours. Wish I had your great info last year when my tomatoes were taking forever to ripen. Hopefully, I won’t have the same problem this year but with all the rain and severe temp drops, the problems may be something else again. Still, gardening is a joy. All the best to you in yours!

    Reply
    1. Gardening 4 Gains – -Sowing the seeds of today's dreams so tomorrow they are harvested as realities- Gardening Natural Bodybuilding Yoga Blogging I have an obsession with plants, making gains, and writing. I enjoy long lifts in the gym, going on walks through the park with my girlfriend Kyla & our dog Twiggy, & digging in the dirt.
      Gardening4Gains says:

      Thank you for visiting my blog as well! Im hoping we don’t have the same issues this year either but that’s the beauty of gardening – no matter how much you prepare, there’s always a new set of challenges to overcome

      Reply
  3. Cindy Coghill – I'm a mother of one adult daughter, inheritor of one dog, full time medical secretary, gardener, painter of furniture, fixer-upper and handy woman around my house. I am passionate about decorating, lover of flea markets and yard sales, and restorer of old things. Blogging is a way to journal and share my life, passions, and journey with anyone interested enough to follow along.
    Cindy Coghill says:

    Wow! Your tomatoes are really big already.

    Reply
    1. Gardening 4 Gains – -Sowing the seeds of today's dreams so tomorrow they are harvested as realities- Gardening Natural Bodybuilding Yoga Blogging I have an obsession with plants, making gains, and writing. I enjoy long lifts in the gym, going on walks through the park with my girlfriend Kyla & our dog Twiggy, & digging in the dirt.
      Gardening4Gains says:

      That was actually a post from last year but I’ll get some current pictures in my next blog! And I’m on Instagram if you wanna see what all we have growing on 😁

      Reply
    1. Gardening 4 Gains – -Sowing the seeds of today's dreams so tomorrow they are harvested as realities- Gardening Natural Bodybuilding Yoga Blogging I have an obsession with plants, making gains, and writing. I enjoy long lifts in the gym, going on walks through the park with my girlfriend Kyla & our dog Twiggy, & digging in the dirt.
      Gardening4Gains says:

      Thank you – happy I could help!

      Reply
    1. Gardening 4 Gains – -Sowing the seeds of today's dreams so tomorrow they are harvested as realities- Gardening Natural Bodybuilding Yoga Blogging I have an obsession with plants, making gains, and writing. I enjoy long lifts in the gym, going on walks through the park with my girlfriend Kyla & our dog Twiggy, & digging in the dirt.
      Gardening4Gains says:

      Thank you so much!

      Reply
  6. helbergfarmstories – Brush, Colorado United States – I love to write. It is one of the constants in my life that brings me joy. I also love to tell stories, read, knit, crochet, weave, plant gardens, raise our own food, play game with my grandson and throw out my wicked sense-of-humor every chance I get (parents fault – they raised us this way, and I am very glad of it!). I have hundreds of great stories from my life that I want to share. Most are very humorous, some maybe not so much. I hope that all are found interesting. Some of the things that have happened to me in life are: • Growing up on a farm in Wisconsin. • Raising and creating 4-H projects for the fair. • Growing food through natural methods (no chemicals here). • Learning (via trial-and-error methods) how to process all kinds of foods. • The death of several loved ones: Parents, fiancé, grandson. • Living through 2 house fires (2nd of which cost me the one grandson). • Having and raising a disabled daughter (20 surgeries in the first 20 years of her life). • Surviving a rape and abusive x-boyfriend and now being able to talk about it. • Giving up everything and moving to another state with $100 in my pocket. • Giving up a steady well-paying job to buy a farm. • Learning and sharing how to really enjoy farm life. • Writing through all of it. These are just samples of all the amazing things I have experienced. I had parents that were amazing! They encouraged all of us to try everything, at least once. Mom tried to get us to enjoy the riches of the world – fine dining (got some great stories on those episodes), how to sit up straight and walk straight to be noticed. She showed us how to walk into a room as if you owned the place. The best thing she taught us was the fine art of storytelling. She grew up with only the radio era folk, so the art of conversation was everything. One regret I have is that I did not keep the letters between her and our Aunt Elaine. They were filled with family happenings and priceless! Dad was a different egg. He and mom seemed like such opposites, but no two opposites were more meant for each other. He was a big, strong, tough man that had been through war times and then something much worse – surviving three daughters! EEEK! Now, looking back, I realize why they both grayed prematurely – we three gremlins. The thing that stands out most in my memory of my father is his compassionate humor. No matter how mad he got at something stupid one of us did, there was always the little twinkle in his eye that told us it was ok. My little sister had him wrapped around her finger – she could do no wrong in his eyes. To best describe him is to let you know that his knick-name for me was “Dumb Shit.” To understand it you may have to watch old Archie Bunker shows – that was my dad. My sisters and I all have some type of talent. The oldest is the wet-noodle. She falls for any stray that comes her way. Then has to feed it and the world (she's an excellent cook by-the-way!) immediately. The youngest is the Artist. She can draw, paint, and/or create so many different things and she too has the passion for cooking. The biggest difference in the two is the first can’t even draw stick people and cooks using shortcuts. The 2nd does everything from scratch – art and cooking. Me, I’m the middle kid. I love to tear things apart and put them back together. I create from scratch – yarn, paint, draw, paper crafts, clay, wood and a number of other things. Cooking is not my passion, I will do it if I have to or if I get an inclination, but it’s not where my heart if. The one big thing we all have in common is our humor. So, my wish here is that as you read my blog (stories), you will find enjoyment in them. What is life if we cannot have a little fun in it?
    helbergfarmstories says:

    Weather is killing our food this year. First colder than normal spring. Follow that up with hotter than normal late spring/early summer. Ugly winds lead to a wicked triple tornado covering about 5 counties here in northeastern Colorado. On in the massive cloud hit us head on. The house was left mostly intact, the the rest of the farm is trashed. Between the winds and the softball size hail – the gardens were flattened. I have learned how to garden all naturally. Companion planting, friendly “good” bugs, shade cloth where/when needed, but there is nothing we could do that would have prevented or protected from this. Our 86’x32′ sunken greenhouse completely lost its roof this year. The twister took out several of the screwed in 2x12x10′ boards that surround the base. Luckily, the main metal structure is still intact (that was all secured when we built it by a 3-foot high, in-ground base wall (you have to step 2 steps down to get into the greenhouse). So we did all we could to protect as much as we could, but mother nature had other plans. I love hearing stories (especially the pics) of others with my same passion for gardening still going strong. You give me strength to keep on going – THANK YOU!!!

    Reply
    1. Gardening 4 Gains – -Sowing the seeds of today's dreams so tomorrow they are harvested as realities- Gardening Natural Bodybuilding Yoga Blogging I have an obsession with plants, making gains, and writing. I enjoy long lifts in the gym, going on walks through the park with my girlfriend Kyla & our dog Twiggy, & digging in the dirt.
      Gardening4Gains says:

      Wow, that is such a wild & horrible turn of events! Im happy that you got some inspiration from my story but yours is incredibly inspiring! Thank you for sharing – hope you have a better finish to the year than the start

      Reply
      1. helbergfarmstories – Brush, Colorado United States – I love to write. It is one of the constants in my life that brings me joy. I also love to tell stories, read, knit, crochet, weave, plant gardens, raise our own food, play game with my grandson and throw out my wicked sense-of-humor every chance I get (parents fault – they raised us this way, and I am very glad of it!). I have hundreds of great stories from my life that I want to share. Most are very humorous, some maybe not so much. I hope that all are found interesting. Some of the things that have happened to me in life are: • Growing up on a farm in Wisconsin. • Raising and creating 4-H projects for the fair. • Growing food through natural methods (no chemicals here). • Learning (via trial-and-error methods) how to process all kinds of foods. • The death of several loved ones: Parents, fiancé, grandson. • Living through 2 house fires (2nd of which cost me the one grandson). • Having and raising a disabled daughter (20 surgeries in the first 20 years of her life). • Surviving a rape and abusive x-boyfriend and now being able to talk about it. • Giving up everything and moving to another state with $100 in my pocket. • Giving up a steady well-paying job to buy a farm. • Learning and sharing how to really enjoy farm life. • Writing through all of it. These are just samples of all the amazing things I have experienced. I had parents that were amazing! They encouraged all of us to try everything, at least once. Mom tried to get us to enjoy the riches of the world – fine dining (got some great stories on those episodes), how to sit up straight and walk straight to be noticed. She showed us how to walk into a room as if you owned the place. The best thing she taught us was the fine art of storytelling. She grew up with only the radio era folk, so the art of conversation was everything. One regret I have is that I did not keep the letters between her and our Aunt Elaine. They were filled with family happenings and priceless! Dad was a different egg. He and mom seemed like such opposites, but no two opposites were more meant for each other. He was a big, strong, tough man that had been through war times and then something much worse – surviving three daughters! EEEK! Now, looking back, I realize why they both grayed prematurely – we three gremlins. The thing that stands out most in my memory of my father is his compassionate humor. No matter how mad he got at something stupid one of us did, there was always the little twinkle in his eye that told us it was ok. My little sister had him wrapped around her finger – she could do no wrong in his eyes. To best describe him is to let you know that his knick-name for me was “Dumb Shit.” To understand it you may have to watch old Archie Bunker shows – that was my dad. My sisters and I all have some type of talent. The oldest is the wet-noodle. She falls for any stray that comes her way. Then has to feed it and the world (she's an excellent cook by-the-way!) immediately. The youngest is the Artist. She can draw, paint, and/or create so many different things and she too has the passion for cooking. The biggest difference in the two is the first can’t even draw stick people and cooks using shortcuts. The 2nd does everything from scratch – art and cooking. Me, I’m the middle kid. I love to tear things apart and put them back together. I create from scratch – yarn, paint, draw, paper crafts, clay, wood and a number of other things. Cooking is not my passion, I will do it if I have to or if I get an inclination, but it’s not where my heart if. The one big thing we all have in common is our humor. So, my wish here is that as you read my blog (stories), you will find enjoyment in them. What is life if we cannot have a little fun in it?
        helbergfarmstories says:

        Me too…just got hit on 7/29 by a tornado…2nd in my life…pretty sure i would LOVE to have a boring life for a while🤣🤣🤣

Leave your thoughts

Turn on JavaScript to leave a comment.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.