How long do tomatoes take to ripen once formed on the vine?
Question:
Answers:
It is largely dependant on the weather where you live.If you have hot nights your tomatoes will ripen more quickly.I live in Northern CA and it is almost always cool and foggy at night so most tomatoes take 90-120 days to ripen from the time they are planted as small plants.
Cherry tomatoes are quickest here,followed by hybrids such as Early Girl or Better Boy.The heirlooms take longer to set fruit,but seem to ripen quickly one the fruit is full size.
Once the fruit is set you need to decrease the watering or ripe fruit will tend to split.
They take about nine weeks--cherry tomatoes ripen first...even the ones that say they ripen earliest don't--they're all the same.
Once your tomatoes get large enough you might want to take them off the vine so the insects don't get to them. Then you can put them on your counter to rippen. I've heard and tried to put them in a paper bag and they seem to rippen quicker that way.
More Related Questions & Answers...