Money, time, patience, and anticipation all spent to grow a few green tomatoes that simply won't ripen and turn red? It is a common challenge amongst tomato growers, and can be extremely frustrating.
Growing tomatoes is a rather addictive process that is mixed with moments of joy, elation, anxiety, and sometimes disappointment. After weeks spent lovingly coaxing tomato seeds to germinate and grow, finally, little green fruit appear. But what if they won't turn red?
Rest assured, all hope is not lost, and success lies ahead, with just a few steps. Here we uncover why your tomatoes won't turn red and what action you should take.
What stops tomatoes from turning red?
There are several reasons why your tomatoes won't turn red, and some are incredibly easy to fix. Here are the most common reasons your tomato plant refuses to change its color.
- It is simply too cold - although it stands to reason that tomatoes like to be drenched in sunlight, it is warmth, rather than sunlight, that encourages the ripening process. It can be that even though your plant is exposed to several hours of daylight, the temperature may be too cool for the tomato to turn red. If you think the temperature is too low, cover your tomato plants with fleece protection, like these protection jackets from Amazon.
- You are not watering the tomato plants enough - most of us are concerned about overwatering our tomatoes, which can often lead to underwatering, resulting in reduced fruit production and quality. If a tomato plant does not have access to enough water, it will halt fruit production and delay ripening to survive.
- Overcrowding - a tomato plant that is covered in fruit will be spread very thin when it comes to sending its precious resources out to grow and ripen each one. If you have a plant smothered in crowds of underripe green tomatoes, it is worth removing some, along with the foliage, to allow the tomato plant to cope.
How to get your tomatoes to ripen
So, you've addressed these issues. What further steps can you take to get your tomatoes to turn red, fast?
1. Swap the fertilizer
One of the most common tomato-growing mistakes is consistently feeding your tomato plants a balanced fertilizer throughout their lifetime.
Whilst a balanced fertilizer is great for establishing young plants, it is best to reduce the amount of nitrogen in the fertilizer as the tomato plants begin to bear fruit, as large quantities of nitrogen in the soil can impede tomato production.
Swap to a tomato feed for fruiting plants like this organic food from Burpee, or a liquid fertilizer with lower levels of nitrogen and higher quantities of phosphorus and potassium.
2. The more ethylene, the better
A little-known fact is that all tomatoes are gas-ripened. For green tomatoes to develop their lovely deep red color, they need to be exposed to a crucial plant hormone that regulates fruit ripening, called ethylene.
Whilst this is a natural process, if your stubborn green tomatoes aren't starting to blush red, a top tip is to put them into a paper bag with a ripe fruit like an apple, pear or banana, which will emit ethylene and encourage your tomatoes to turn red.
3. Snip the tip to redirect energy
If your tomato plant seems hellbent on growing more green fruit and refusing to ripen the existing ones, it would be useful to prune the main growing tip. This will encourage the plant to redirect its energy into developing the existing fruit.
Knowing how to prune tomato plants is very straightforward; you may even be able to pinch them out with your fingers, or use a clean pair of secateurs if your plant is a bit larger.
By doing this, it will help your tomato focus its energy on the green tomatoes it has not yet fully developed, rather than focusing on new growth.
Shop tomato growing essentials
If you are getting started with young tomato plants, then a balanced fertilizer like this one is ideal for helping them get off to a healthy start. Once they have established, move on to a feed with higher phosphorus to help boost fruit production.
