Tomatoes slow to grow/ ripen.

How has everyone's tomatoes been this year? Some of my cherries are only starting to colour now whereas my large tomatoes are still growing, it's been a pretty rubbish summer here in Northern Ireland but they are in the greenhouse so I'd expect them to be a little faster than this, this is my third year of growing tomatoes and I'm yet to have any great sucess with them, the first year I had blight, last year I had a few decent trusses but most refuse to ripen for me, any advice?

 

All of ours, inside and outdoors are about a month behind this year. Normally at this time of year we would be picking outdoor cherry toms every day but so far we've picked about six and they are very slow to ripen.
We've got plenty ripening now in the polytunnel and greenhouse but we didn't pick our first until late July.
Cucumbers have done well but butternut squash outdoors have been a waste of space.

You can speed up ripening by a high potash feed and /or by hanging a ripe banana or two among the plants.

 

Hi F/S.

I'm kinda surprised that yours are so late to ripen. My greenhouse tomatoes are actually going to be over soon, maybe in two or three weeks. As far as I'm aware, there are two things that can cause a lack of ripening. The first is low temperatures, which given the fact that yours are in the greenhouse, seems a bit unlikely. The second is too high a temperature and exposure to too much direct sunlight. In this second case one usually finds that although they do eventually ripen, it's very uneven. There's actually a name for this, but it passes me by. No doubt 'JWK' will be along shortly, and he's the resident tomato expert

Cheers...Freddy.

 

A very strange summer indeed here, my toms are way behind, but potatoes, apples, blackberries, pears and plums are weeks ahead.

 

You're just over the water from me FS. Mine cropped heavily last year, but have been slow this year, partly down to the weather I think. I have also noticed here in the north west some varieties do better than others. I grew Gardeners Delight this year and last, they were slow this year. I also grew Golden Pearl last year that weren't very successful. This year Sungold and they have cropped really well.

I've also noticed that tomatoes can be erratic from year to year, even if the weather patterns are stable.

I start my seeds off mid-March.

 

Interesting posts, as mine are really producing. Indeed, I can't eat them quick enough, having to give quite a few away.

 

I am in the slow to ripen. The out doors toms are real slow. I did have a spurt of ripening outdoors but back to waiting again now :gaagh:

 

I'm glad to here that your butternut squash have been rubbish Dave, I've only got one and it's a tiddler. Strange, as the courgettes in the same plot hae been great. Likewise, cucumbers in the greenhouse have done well, tomatoes fattening nicely but ripening slowly.

Just cut back the ivy and oak tree to try to get a bit more light.

 

I'm in west of scotland and im having a rubbish year. There are a few growing but theyre still green. There are lots of flowers just no toms from most. If I get 10 before the year is out i'll be happy.

 

Mine are slow to ripen too, first year of growing them myself so thought it was something I'd done wrong! Mine are outside due to the greenhyouse being relocated but think I might put them back in it.

I've tried the banana skins trick and it seems be be working on some of them.

Read on the news yesterday that this summer has been the coolest since 1993

 

I'm glad I'm not the only one then, the only thing I can think of aside from the weather is the fact that I often forget to close the greenhouse door at night and I suppose the temperature gets pretty low. I hope one day I'll manage to get an abundance of ripe tomatoes, though I might have to move to France or Italy at this rate, which would be a 'sacrifice' I'd be willing to make

 

another year or green tomato chutney.
going to bring plants on earlier next year.
i have great size but still bright green.