Many gardeners struggle to turn green tomatoes red. They feel worried about seeing their tomatoes hard and green, especially when the fatal frost starts. There may be plenty of reasons behind this problem.
Most gardeners are not left with options other than plucking green tomatoes and bringing them indoors to let them ripen due to fear of frost. But most tomatoes rot, and if you do tomato harvest, your hard work is washed away.
So, why won’t my tomatoes turn red? Your tomatoes may not be turning red or ripen when the temperature goes beyond 85 to 90 F. At this temperature, the ripening process slows or even stops, the pigments responsible for turning tomatoes red or pink ,lycopene and carotene, cannot be produced. Therefore, your tomatoes will remain in mature green phase.
Ideally, tomatoes should ripen within six to eight weeks of flower pollination, depending on the variety of your tomatoes.
It may not be ripe because of unfavorable temperatures, i.e., too low or too high temperature, not choosing the right variety of your tomatoes, overgrown and stressed vines, etc.
This article is all about what to do if your tomatoes are not ripening and how to fix this.
Why Do Tomatoes Turn Red?
Tomatoes are high in chlorophyll content, which is why they initially come out with green fruits. However, after their full maturity, they produce ethylene gas which helps in the ripening of tomatoes, turning them red.
Lycopene and carotene are the pigments responsible in tomato plant for turning existing green fruit to red or pink color.
Later the chlorophyll starts dissolving and is replaced by an organic compound called lycopene which is responsible for the red or sometimes even pink color of tomatoes.
The color of tomatoes may be orange, purple, or pink, depending on their varieties.
Carotenoids play the main role in changing the color of tomatoes. For example, the Carotenoid for red tomatoes is lycopene, whereas, for yellow tomatoes, it is Lutein.
So, you might be thinking about why aren’y my tomatoes turning red? Here’s your answer!
4 Reasons Why Your Tomatoes Aren’t Ripening
When the tomatoes don’t get an ideal environment, rarely are there chances of their ripening. When the weather’s too hot or cold, the tomato season is ending, or it may be due to the variety of tomatoes grown.
Hot Weather:
Though tomatoes grow in warm conditions, they can’t cope with a too much heat. So, unfortunately, they struggle to survive if they fall into a hot environment.
Tomato plant produce Lycopene, which is the natural chemical responsible for ripening on the vine. Unfortunately, the plant becomes inefficient in producing such chemicals in extremely hot weather, and the ripening process slows significantly, and even the tomatoes won’t ripen at all.
In this situation, either wait for the temperature to become normal or opt for preventive measures to protect the plant from the hot climate. Once the heat comes to a normal state, the tomatoes will continue to ripen again.
Cold Weather:
Tomatoes also do not like extremely cold temperatures, and the ripening and growing processes are impacted. The drop in temperature is the end of tomato season.
But if the temperature is cold for just a few days, it won’t impact, and the ripening process becomes normal when the temperature comes to normal.
A temperature up to 60 F is favorable for ripening and growing tomatoes, but the tomatoes ripening and the growing process stops together below this temperature.
If the temperature won’t reach at least the minimum for more than two weeks, then it is time to pluck all the mature green tomatoes and let them ripen indoors.
I use my own method to encourage tomatoes ripening process by wrapping the fruits into a newspaper or a paper bag.
End of Season:
A fall in temperature comes with the end of the tomato season. With the falling temperatures, tomatoes stop growing and producing other fruit. Despite their maturity, the already-grown tomatoes stop growing and ripening.
In this mature green stage, I pluck all the grown tomatoes inside and let them ripen on their own. I also prefer making pickles of unripened tomatoes as they are very delicious.
Variety:
Nature has given us varieties of tomatoes with different colors and tastes. Different varieties have different ripening processes too.
Among all varieties, cherry tomatoes ripen faster than larger tomatoes variety.
I have listed a few popular tomato varieties with the ripening time they take.
| Tomato Variety | Number of Days Take Tomatoes to Ripen |
| Early Girl | 50 |
| Bush Early Girl | 54 |
| Juliet | 60 |
| Celebrity | 65 |
| Husky Cherry Red | 65 |
| Super sweet | 100 |
So identify the variety of tomatoes you have planted and wait for the right time to ripe them up.
Similarly, there are varieties of green tomatoes, too, which never turn red and ripen. So never wait for those varieties to turn red, or they will be over-ripened. On the other hand, they taste great when eaten green.
Related Article – Treatment for Powdery Mildew on Plants: Identification, Causes, and Prevention
Why Won’t My Tomatoes Ripen On The Vine?
Temperature is the main factor for ripening tomatoes, and it also depends on the variety of tomatoes chosen for cultivation.
The ideal temperature for tomatoes ripening is 85 degrees Fahrenheit – 50 Degrees Fahrenheit. However, tomatoes struggle to ripen up if the temperature exceeds the maximum and falls below the minimum.
When the tomatoes are overgrown, especially during summer, they develop more leaves and flowers. So entire plant energy is wasted in producing leaves and flowers, and the tomato fruit ripening process is compromised.
At this stage, proper and limited pruning of tomato plant is the best way to eliminate the issue.
5 Tricks For Ripening Tomatoes On The Vine Faster
Is the fall about to start, and still, your tomatoes are struggling to ripen? Don’t worry; I have certain tricks to speed up your tomato ripening process.
Cut Off The New Growth
In the season of ripening fruits, if your plant is doing new growth, go ahead and cut off the new growth to utilize your plant’s energy in ripening the tomatoes.
The plant needs the energy to develop new leaves. Instead of utilizing the plant’s energy in the further growth of leaves and stems, you can direct your plant to use the energy in the ripening of the fruit.
Trim The Flowers
Plants need at least 45-60 days to ripe tomatoes from the day of flower pollination. If the plant starts to flower at the end of the season, I opt to pluck the flowers to save energy. This process indicates the plant utilizes its power in ripening up the tomatoes.
Pinch The Suckers
Tomato suckers are the side shoots that grow from the branch and main stream. They are known as Axil and are mostly left unattended.
Due to this, the tomato plants turn into bushy tomato plants, sucking the plant’s energy. Therefore, pinching all the suckers from the tomato plants would be best.
Pluck Off Tiny Tomatoes
It is mesmerizing to see baby tomatoes, and it is heartbreaking to remove them before their maturity.
But if they are grown just a few days before the beginning of frost, pluck them off. They do not have enough time to mature. Instead, the plants would use that energy to ripen the already-matured green tomatoes.
Prune Some Of The Leaves
Pruning of leaves should only be done when the plant is very healthy and has plenty of leaves on it.
You can prune some of the leaves to help the plant focus more on fruit ripening.
You can also find the video helpful to speed up your tomato ripening process.
What Should You Do With Green Tomatoes?
If you are fed up with trying all tips and ideas to turn your hard green tomatoes into red, don’t panic; still, there is a way.
Just before a few days of frost, bring all your tomatoes inside. You will notice some of the tomatoes are turning red on their own.
Even ripen green tomatoes are also good to eat; I usually prefer making pickles of mature green tomatoes. They are damn delicious and very simple to prepare.
How to Tell When Green Varieties of Tomatoes are Ripe?
We already know that raw tomatoes are green and later turn Red or pink when ripened. But there are varieties of tomatoes that are still green even after ripening, like green doctors, Cherokee Green, Green Zebra tomatoes, etc.
You can find out whether your green tomatoes are ripe or not by noticing the following points:
- The fruit turns soft and pulpy like red tomatoes only. Please do not wait for them to change their color; otherwise, they will get overripened.
- The color of green tomato turns to light green, yellow, or sometimes pink. At this stage, we can decide that the tomatoes are ripened and enjoy the delicious taste of the fruit.
Reasons For Different Colored Tomatoes
The color of tomatoes varies on so many factors. The reasons are listed below:
Sunscald:
Scalding happens because of extreme exposure to sunlight. This results in faded, lathery tomatoes. You can notice the effect on top of the sides of the fruit. Mostly, the fruits rot due to sunscald.
Soil Fertility problem:
Sometimes the tomatoes are planted in soil that does not have the nutrients needed for the plant and produce unevenly colored or yellow tomatoes.
According to Cornell Cooperative Extension, “high magnesium and low potassium levels can lead to conditions like blotchy or uneven ripening or yellow shoulder disorder.”
Blossom End Rot:
Deficiency of calcium leads to Blossom End Rot which in turn hampers the produced tomatoes. Providing your tomato plants with enough calcium helps to resolve the issue. (To avoid this, check our post “8 Proven Ways To Fix Blossom End Rot“.)
Final Thoughts
Understand the variety of tomatoes you have planted, know their ripening time, and accordingly take action. If the tomatoes are not ripening within the ideal time, identify the reason for the same and patiently use the tricks discussed above. You won’t lose your matured tomatoes and can enjoy your hard-grown tomatoes.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get my tomatoes to turn red?
I personally bring the potted plant inside to a warmer location to turn the unripe fruit red. You can also try uprooting the vines with mature green fruit and hanging them upside down in a cool, dry place, such as a garage or basement, until the fruit ripens and turns red.
Why is it taking so long for my tomatoes to turn red?
Lycopene and carotene are the pigments responsible for ripe tomato color. But When temperatures reach over 85°F, the plant stops producing these pigments and therefore, the ripening process slows down or stops resulting in yellowish-green or orange tomato fruit.
Why did my tomatoes never ripen?
Temperature is one of the major reason what causes ripening in tomatoes. When it falls below 50 degrees F, the growth of tomato plant slows down, so as the fruits. This vegetable requires heat in order to grow, and it will not resume growth until the weather becomes warmer
Recent Posts
Are you ready to plant tomatoes for the best tomato harvest of your life? It all starts with getting the fertilizer right! Fertilizing tomatoes can seem daunting, but when done correctly, it’s...
9 Reasons Why Your Tomato Plants Wilting and How To Fix This!
When the gardeners see their lovely and precious tomato plants wilted, they become hopeless, sad, and impatient. But the situation can often be reversed with proper care and adopting a few good...