Tomatoes ripe but not ripe

Can anyone help a friend of mine whose having registration difficulties which I hope Nathan will be able to sort. His other problem is to do with his tomatoes - a subject I am totally ignorant off.

"I have resumed growing a tomato plant in my conservatory (I don't grow
veggies or fruit - mainly roses and other flowers , and there's not a lot of
space outside for eatables!)

I selected Ailsa Craig, knowing it to be a flavoursome variety suitable for
under glass. It has done brilliantly with large full trusses, and no sign of
whitefly (a problem in the past) - perhaps partly due to my collection of
sundews nearby!!

On opening apparently ripe fruits, the flesh underneath is still green -
disconcertingly so - and the flavour is poor. The outside of the fruit is
ripe red but with unripe patches. What is wrong? Have I picked too early?
The fruits look and feel ripe, but they aren't."

Advise would be gratefully received.

 

I think its called "greenback" Fran.
I all ways used to get it when I grew them under glass. Think its due to too much hot sunshine on the fruit or possibly not enough potash. Anyway never had the problem outdoors.
Some shading might help.

 

Makes sense Pete with the summer we have had so far. I'm sure Nick has shading in place but I would imagine with the amount of sun we have had over the last months that could be the problem. What should he do, leave the fruit on the vine longer so that the inner catches up with the outer and keep watering - or what?
My thanks for the response

 

I dont think that area of the fruit will ripen properly once this has happened.
Unfortunately the affected fruits will always contain that hard flesh under the skin.
Its one of those things that you need to avoid happening in the first place, once its happened there,s not much you can do. :(

 

.....and here I am, Nathan, Fran etc. Access at last - I have no idea what the password problem was, but it seems to be solved. Thanks Nathan.

And thanks Fran for posting my tomato query. Now I'm told it's greenback, that does ring a bell in my memory (but I'm really a rose fanatic, with a bit of clematis, and a hankering for carnivorous plants on the indoor front). Hi to everybody!

Nick

 

Hi Nick your not far from me, my sister lives in St Michaels.
What sort of carnivorous plants have you got?

 

Thanks Nathan I knew that you would sort it and thanks to Pete for the answers to the tomato questions.

Hi there Nick glad you made it bin a long time - this is an excellent forum with some great gardening folks :D

[ 29. July 2005, 08:02 PM: Message edited by: Fran ]

 

ihavent had any ripe toms yet i have 1 cherry tom turning :confused: is it cos im up north everything is growing ok my plum toms look good and big but still green :(

 

Hi everybody, including Pete - thanks for your reply. (Where exactly are you? I am in the middle of Tenterden).

I am sure the tomato problem is greenback, and the cause is certainly sun. Will later fruits be better?? If brought indoors, can the fruits ripen? I tried one from the next truss up yesterday. It looked ripe but had some green inside

Nick

 

Hi Nick, I dont think your toms will improve until you start to pick the ones which formed after the last hot spell.
Its one of those things, in my experience, that is not reversable, once the fruit are affected you cant alter it.

 

I was afraid of that Fran. The plant is probably a write-off, as the intention was to produce toms before we go away for August. I was very proud of this year's crop too!! It's several years since I grew toms in the conservatory.

Nick

 

Sad - With the weather we've been getting over the last few years I'd grow 'em outdoors - next year.

 

Hi Nick, Pete's right about the sun on your tom's,it's been exceptionally hot in the greenhouse this year, tom's love lot's of water and goodness, i'm just picking my second lot of gardners delight, and my Alicante's are just turning, i have been watering on a daily basis and feeding tomorite (weak solution) every other day, not so much this week as weather turned cooler and there not drying out so much, As for shading i just put windolene (the lilac colored liquid) on the glass quite thickly and later on in the year just wipe it off nice clean glass LOL. P.S. I Love tenterden I'M originally from Ashford And My Parent's Still Live In Hythe, Kind Regards Sallyann.