Hi all,

We've been picking them when they're still green then putting them on the window
sill to ripen. The birds don't have chance, but I wonder if we're picking them
too early.

Recommendations greatly appreciated.

--
Ben in Melbourne.

From:	sassie
Subject:	Re: When do you pick tomatos?
Date:	Fri, 21 Jan 2005 10:46:08 GMT

On Fri, 21 Jan 2005 01:10:35 +0000, Ben Thomas wrote:

> Hi all,
>
> We've been picking them when they're still green then putting them on
> the window sill to ripen. The birds don't have chance, but I wonder if
> we're picking them too early.
>
> Recommendations greatly appreciated.

Let them ripen on the vine they taste much better and invest in a shot
gun!

From:	Fran
Subject:	Re: When do you pick tomatos?
Date:	Fri, 21 Jan 2005 18:12:36 +1100

"Ben Thomas" wrote in message
news:a0jpsc.pdr.ln@192.168.11.2...

> We've been picking them when they're still green then putting them on the
window
> sill to ripen. The birds don't have chance, but I wonder if we're picking
them
> too early.

I used to wait till they were red and fully ripe but read an article where
one of the gardening experts (I think it was Cundall?????) suggested picking
them when they were pinkish. He was right - they end up being superb.

From:	Don Fitch
Subject:	Re: When do you pick tomatos?
Date:	21 Jan 2005 07:23:19 GMT

Ben Thomas (munged @) wrote:

>We've been picking them when they're still green then putting them >on the
window sill to ripen. The birds don't have chance, but I wonder >if we're
picking them too early.

Most tomato varieties continue improving in flavor on the vine until they're
dead-ripe. I think that's the major reason many people grow their own.
Protective netting to keep the birds off is probably worth the (minor) expense
& hassle.

Don Fitch,
Covina CA USA

From:	len gardener
Subject:	Re: When do you pick tomatos?
Date:	Fri, 21 Jan 2005 17:57:41 +1000

well ben it may ultimately come down to you mate,

usually i pick them when they are starting to turn usually a yellowish
green colour. now i put them on a tray under a tea towel so the gas
from the riper ones helps to ripen the others. but where i can i leave
them until they are fairly red maybe not ready to eat red but will be
the next day or 2 ok.

but if you have bird problems then the best time to pick is when they
start to get that whitish appearnace to parts of them ok. now to keep
the birds away so you can get more ripening time on the vine and by my
reckoning that much more flavour cover you plants with some netting
type curtain materila ok, or make scare crows from wine bladders, just
you gotta suffer drinkin all the wine hey yuk lol. ost birds don't
like the brite red/orange colours so if you can put a splash of these
colours on those once emptied wine bladders will help.

now if you live anywhere near me i reckon we could have a good time
emptying wine caskes huh??

enjoy and have fun

len

snipped
--
happy gardening
'it works for me it could work for you,'

"in the end ya' gotta do what ya' gotta do" but consider others and the environment
http://members.optusnet.com.au/~gardenlen1/

my e/mail addies have spam filters you should know what to delete before you send.

From:	freda
Subject:	Re: When do you pick tomatos?
Date:	Fri, 21 Jan 2005 18:57:42 +1000

len gardener wrote:
> well ben it may ultimately come down to you mate,
>
> usually i pick them when they are starting to turn usually a yellowish
> green colour. now i put them on a tray under a tea towel so the gas
> from the riper ones helps to ripen the others. but where i can i leave
> them until they are fairly red maybe not ready to eat red but will be
> the next day or 2 ok.
>
> but if you have bird problems then the best time to pick is when they
> start to get that whitish appearnace to parts of them ok. now to keep
> the birds away so you can get more ripening time on the vine and by my
> reckoning that much more flavour cover you plants with some netting
> type curtain materila ok, or make scare crows from wine bladders, just
> you gotta suffer drinkin all the wine hey yuk lol. ost birds don't
> like the brite red/orange colours so if you can put a splash of these
> colours on those once emptied wine bladders will help.
>
> now if you live anywhere near me i reckon we could have a good time
> emptying wine caskes huh??
>
> enjoy and have fun
>
> len
>

This is what i was led to believe, also.

From:	SG1
Subject:	Re: When do you pick tomatos?
Date:	Fri, 21 Jan 2005 21:13:53 GMT

We picked 9Kg of green ones for pickles yesterday. Then we picked another
3-4Kg of varying shades from just starting to colour to fully red. We have a
friend who uses all colours in her cooking. Herself, hubby & 3 ankle biters
went through 3/4 of a bucket in 2 days. With just SWMBO & myself we grow
them for others so they can have whatever colour they like. Me almost rotten
& full of flavour SWMBO pink & firm.
Takes all kinds, so pick what you like to eat.

Jim

"Ben Thomas" wrote in message
news:a0jpsc.pdr.ln@192.168.11.2...
> Hi all,
>
> We've been picking them when they're still green then putting them on the
> window sill to ripen. The birds don't have chance, but I wonder if we're
> picking them too early.
>
> Recommendations greatly appreciated.
>
> --
> Ben in Melbourne.

From:	Ben Thomas
Subject:	Thanks to all (was: When do you pick tomatos?)
Date:	Sun, 23 Jan 2005 22:20:03 GMT

Hi everyone,

Thanks for the suggestions. I'll think I'll grab some netting so I can leave the
tomatos on the plants longer.

Do apples make things ripen quicker?

Ben

From:	len gardener
Subject:	Re: Thanks to all (was: When do you pick tomatos?)
Date:	Mon, 24 Jan 2005 11:13:00 +1000

g'day ben,

gald to be of some help as all the others will be.

the ultimate is to leave them on the vine until they are well ripe and
pick early in the morning, but i have things that are atracted to nice
vine ripened tomatoes as i am they are colled rodents, along with the
fig brids, black faced cuckoos and king parrots.

yes a ripening apple will work as will a ripening tomato we pick early
then put them onto trays on a cloth and cover with a tea towel to keep
teh gasses in, it works and the flavour will leave any bought fruit
hands down.

snipped
--
happy gardening
'it works for me it could work for you,'

"in the end ya' gotta do what ya' gotta do" but consider others and the environment
http://members.optusnet.com.au/~gardenlen1/

my e/mail addies have spam filters you should know what to delete before you send.

From:	Chookie
Subject:	Re: When do you pick tomatos?
Date:	Sun, 23 Jan 2005 21:31:16 +1100

In article , Ben Thomas
wrote:

> We've been picking them when they're still green then putting them on the
> window sill to ripen. The birds don't have chance, but I wonder if
> we're picking them too early.

I think you are, but I've never had problems with birds eating them here in
Sydney (what birds go for them?). I pick them when they're ripe, or very
close to it. If birds are a problem, try netting.

BTW, have you noticed there is a little "elbow" ont the tomato stalk? Break
them off there and you run less risk of damaging the fruit or plant.

--
Chookie -- Sydney, Australia
(Replace "foulspambegone" with "optushome" to reply)

"Life is like a cigarette -- smoke it to the butt." -- Harvie Krumpet

From:	Terry Collins
Subject:	Re: When do you pick tomatos?
Date:	Sun, 23 Jan 2005 22:28:38 +1100

Chookie wrote:

> I think you are, but I've never had problems with birds eating them here in
> Sydney (what birds go for them?).

Bulbulls. The ones with red and the spike feathers on the back of the
head.