Hybrid tomato

 

The most exciting part of growing Tomatoes or for that matter, any other fruit or vegetable plant is harvesting. Some aspects of harvesting tomatoes, like the right time for picking and selecting the ready to be picked tomatoes, often create some confusion for the gardeners. The following tips will help you understand these, and several other aspects of harvesting tomatoes.

The most obvious indicator of ripe tomatoes is their appearance. Ripe tomatoes will have a uniform, glossy color and will feel firm, but not hard on touching. Some varieties of tomatoes ripen before they acquire full color. If the tomatoes have reached the mature size but display color only at the bottom part, feel for the texture of the tomatoes. Smooth, waxy textured skin is a sign of ripe tomatoes.

A month from the expected first frost date for your region, remove the top of your plants along with all new flowers. This will help channel the plant’s energies into ripening the existing tomatoes, thus, preventing wastage of energy in producing new tomatoes that won’t have enough time to mature.
 

If the frosts begin while the tomatoes are still a few days from ripening, cover the plants with sheets. If there’s a danger of hard frosts, it’s best to harvest all the tomatoes.

Unripe tomatoes should be stored in a cool, dark location. Make sure to inspect them regularly and remove any that show signs of damage or infection.

Keep from exposing the harvested tomatoes to sunlight. Ripe tomatoes can survive at room temperature for 2-3 days. If you want to store them for longer periods, I’d recommend you move them to the refrigerator.