Gardening Does excess heat inhibit tomato ripening?

[Elizabeth_Bu]

Hi Mark and gardeners
This is my first time growing tomatoes. Well, second, but the possums ate all the tomatoes from my first attempt, every single one! So now I have netting!

My problem is that the tomato plants are yellowing and I think this means they are at the end of their life cycle, but there is a lot of green fruit on the plants. I watched a YouTube video from a gardener in Texas who said when the temperature reaches a particular level, the ripening of tomatoes can be inhibited. I'm in South-East Queensland, and it's been pretty hot. Perhaps this is why my tomatoes are taking so long to ripen. I'd be happy to leave them to do their own thing, but with the plants yellowing and with the possibility of a lot of rain on the way, I'm unsure what to do. Leave the fruit on the plants or remove the fruit and try to ripen it inside.

Love to know what you think I should do. Thanks for your help.

Elizabeth

 

[Mandy Onderwater]

Welcome, welcome.

Naughty possums!
There can be many reasons as to why your tomato plants are yellowing. This can be because of the heat, lack of water and/or lack of nutrients.
Do you grow your tomatoes in pots or in the ground? And what have your watering habits been like?

 

[Elizabeth_Bu]

Welcome, welcome.

Naughty possums!
There can be many reasons as to why your tomato plants are yellowing. This can be because of the heat, lack of water and/or lack of nutrients.
Do you grow your tomatoes in pots or in the ground? And what have your watering habits been like?

Hi Mandy
Thanks for answering my question. I water them every day unless it's been raining. If it's rained, I leave them. Otherwise, I give them a good water.
One plant (a Tommy Toe? Cherry tomato plant) was in a container, the rest are in a vegetable garden. Three of the plants are cherry/pear types and a
couple are bigger varieties.

Cheers

Elizabeth

 

[Berkeloid]

Mark has said in past videos he can only grow tomatoes in spring and autumn, because it's too cold in winter and too hot in summer, in his subtropical SE QLD climate.

I am in the same climate and don't have a lot of experience with tomatoes, but I've found the seeds don't tend to germinate over summer but come up on their own once it cools down a bit. So I would say there's a good chance it could be heat.

If you change nothing and your tomato plants do well from late Feb/early March when the weather starts cooling off then that will pretty much confirm that. However if you get the same issues without the hot weather then it must be something else.

 

[Elizabeth_Bu]

Mark has said in past videos he can only grow tomatoes in spring and autumn, because it's too cold in winter and too hot in summer, in his subtropical SE QLD climate.

I am in the same climate and don't have a lot of experience with tomatoes, but I've found the seeds don't tend to germinate over summer but come up on their own once it cools down a bit. So I would say there's a good chance it could be heat.

If you change nothing and your tomato plants do well from late Feb/early March when the weather starts cooling off then that will pretty much confirm that. However if you get the same issues without the hot weather then it must be something else.

Thanks Berkeloid. I do think the heat is having an impact. I'm just not sure what to do with the green fruit on the vines. Once I get that off, I'll pull the tomato plants out and prepare the bed for Autumn. I'll probably use the time to add some manure and prepare the bed for Autumn when it's cooler.

 

[daveb]

ok a couple characteristics that cover most varieties

Minimum ground temperaturs of 57F ( 14 c ) to plant
optimum soil temperture growing 65 to 72F ( 18 to 22c )
Suggested growing Air temperatures of 71 to 84F ( 22 to 29C )
8 hours of full sun daily
Relative humidity of 65% to 85%
1 to 2 inches (2.5 to 5mm) of moisture every week.
Ph 6.2 to 6.8
Rich well drained soil high in phosphorus (P), potassium (K), calcium (Ca), and magnesium (Mg) to help set bollsum and fruit production

A few things to keep in mind higher heat level increase the evopration from the leafs which will increase the amount of water per plant, the type of soil such as sandy soil will also require more frequent water because it does not hold and retain water like a rich loamy clay sand mix. Variety grown can fall into a few catagories that can affect when you timing is to plant three basic type are grown early mid or late season determine the number of days to crops maturity. Tomatoes love sun and warm temperatures but extremes of temperatures swings affect them worse erratic swings high up to 45C max to 10c low and back to high can reduce the vigor and crop production the plants tend to stop growing and shut down beyond those extremes.
One last Key factor heat level will also affect realtive humidity. too high a humidity reduces and inhibits pollen release, too low humidity dries out the pollen and it is not as viable to produces a good crops.
So for your area like Berkeloid said for times of growing or other option contact a local university horticultural groups in your area, most carry suggest plant growth and rotations for specific areas and times of year. You may find some varieties starting late winter and growing into your spring will do exceptionally well a few varieties i have seen and heard mentioned and grown you may find do well for you there are

Brandywine - Black Russian - Mortgage Lifter -Roma and Mini Roma - Tigerella - Early girl - green zebra

 

[Mandy Onderwater]

I've seen fruit ripen on the vine even after the plant has died. One thing you might run in to with vineripening is that insects and/or other animals might take more interest in it.

I live in the Mackay region, East QLD, and I can grow tomatoes year-round. I do notice changes in the plant and fruit depending on the weather. In Winter there might be less fruit and a slowed growth, where in Spring towards Summer I get a boom of growth. I can easily grow cherry tomato types all throughout the Summer, being that they are quite hardy from my experience. My main Summer issue is the insect boom and the added humidity. The heat and humidity seem to be prime time for a lot of diseases and animal-borne issues to arise; making it a little frustrating at times. But not impossible, with the right care.

If you do thing the sun might be an issue, I recommend moving the potted plant around of possible. On the hottest parts of the year I try to catch morning and afternoon sun, where they are protected from the hottest parts of the day. And since I am a container gardener (pots mainly) I need to ensure my plants are watered both morning and afternoon, as the heat evaporates the water that quickly.

I'm unsure if the forum lets you as you are a new member right now, but sharing images can help us diagnose potential issues, which in turn help you and other members learn more.

 

[Elizabeth_Bu]

I've seen fruit ripen on the vine even after the plant has died. One thing you might run in to with vineripening is that insects and/or other animals might take more interest in it.

I live in the Mackay region, East QLD, and I can grow tomatoes year-round. I do notice changes in the plant and fruit depending on the weather. In Winter there might be less fruit and a slowed growth, where in Spring towards Summer I get a boom of growth. I can easily grow cherry tomato types all throughout the Summer, being that they are quite hardy from my experience. My main Summer issue is the insect boom and the added humidity. The heat and humidity seem to be prime time for a lot of diseases and animal-borne issues to arise; making it a little frustrating at times. But not impossible, with the right care.

If you do thing the sun might be an issue, I recommend moving the potted plant around of possible. On the hottest parts of the year I try to catch morning and afternoon sun, where they are protected from the hottest parts of the day. And since I am a container gardener (pots mainly) I need to ensure my plants are watered both morning and afternoon, as the heat evaporates the water that quickly.

I'm unsure if the forum lets you as you are a new member right now, but sharing images can help us diagnose potential issues, which in turn help you and other members learn more.

Hi Mandy
Thank you. That's good to know. I'll leave it where it is for now and see what happens with the weather. We've got netting and put it over the beds every night. So far, it's keeping the animals out.
Interesting that you can grow tomatoes all year round, but Mark has the best success in Spring and Autumn. I'm thinking when I plant again, I'll plant more cherry tomatoes and I might put them in containers rather than in the bed so I can move them under cover if there's a lot of rain predicted or it's particularly hot.

Thanks again Mandy and everyone!

Elizabeth

 

[Mandy Onderwater]

I think it's because I don't have many people to feed, so having a smaller bounty doesn't affect me as much. Also, fresh tomatoes are an addition to foods for me as none of us usually like them "raw", so I cut them up and add them to pasta's and such. It just feels like it makes my foods healthier. And at the very least it feels very rewarding.

You can always snip some off, and leave some on. This way you have a control group as well, and can compare your results. Everyone's microclimate can differ, which can change the results. An example being that my plants prefer being wet where I live, but my mother-in-law's plants would die if they were as wet as mine. And she only lives a half hour away from me!

I personally really enjoy container growing and would recommend it to newbies as well. I would also recommend having multiple of the same plant, and try growing them in different locations. It can really teach you a lot about said plant's preferences. Heck, I've got some plants for that exact purposes. I've got aloe vera growing in multiple locations and as the seasons change I can tell what areas get more sun because my aloe vera will turn reddish in that area. Right now I know the sun doesn't stand low enough to shine on the plants on my patio, but is a lot harsher on my plants right next to it.

I would refer to myself as an "experimental gardener" I enjoy experimenting a lot and it helps teach me my plants' preferences. Of course, this may mean I kill more plants than the average gardener; but I do gain a vast database of knowledge and am able to grow the plants I like very well. I'm especially good at taking cuttings and having them root, as that is something I take great joy in. I've gifted many plants to friends and family because I successfully grew cuttings for them.
Figuring out what you enjoy most in gardening can help a lot in finding joy, even with setbacks. Some people really love flowers, so they don't mind if their plants bolt due to the heat. Others like growing big, bushy plants, not minding if they are the most productive. Other might go for produce, and don't mind of their plants look leggy, have bare patches, etc.