The season is changing and the temperatures are dropping, and most gardeners still have unripe vegetables in their harvest hanging on the plants. Once temperatures drop below 10˚C, these late fruits will stop ripening.
It is important to note that with the exception of tomatoes, most crops will not ripen further after harvest. The first four techniques below focus on how to make tomatoes ripen faster and while they are still on the plant.
- When you have harvested as much of the ripe crop as possible, your plant will focus its energy on the unripe crop that remains;
- It may seem counterintuitive, but pruning can speed up ripening.
Aggressive pruning puts plants into survival mode. And in this way the ripening of the fruits is accelerated;
- If frost is expected, harvesting tomatoes left in your garden is a wise decision because frost damage stops the ripening process of tomatoes;
It is best to hang whole plants (roots) upside down in a garage or other frost-protected location. This promotes ripening even when plant stems are drying;
- When you end up with unripe tomatoes, it's usually because it got cold, and ripening needs warm weather. With the right tools, you can extend the growing season and give produce more time to ripen. You can use a garden cover for plants for weather protection, which will protect your crops from light frosts.
You can make already picked unripe tomatoes turn deep red faster. This is done by letting them sit next to fruits like bananas, which give off ethylene gas. It is it that causes the ripening of the fruit.
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