I bought my house almost solely for the tomato-ripening potential. A walkway and a patio are situated on the south side of the house in full sun. A fence blocks the wind and traps the heat, so it feels 10 degrees warmer. This is where I set a row of tomato plants, peppers and eggplants in giant containers. Even if you don’t have the Shangri-la for tomatoes, you can still get them ripe.
First, this isn’t Texas or Iowa or Florida. We don’t get enough hot days to grow some of the gigantic beefsteak tomatoes. Plenty of wonderful tomatoes will grow here. Embrace your Northwesterness and look for a tomato that takes 65 days or less to mature. I’ve grown varieties that take up to 80 days to mature but anything that takes longer won’t be ready before the first frost in my garden.
Location is everything with tomatoes. They need as much sun as possible. The ideal spot would be against a south-facing wall, protected from wind. Some gardeners find they can hurry up the process by using red or black plastic around the base of plants, which warms up the soil. Most seed catalogs offer wall-o- water type products. To me, these seem expensive for what they offer.
At the end of the summer, extend the season by creating a tent of clear plastic around the plant held in place with clothespins.
Some people think removing the leaves will help fruit ripen. This is a myth and can actually harm tomatoes by causing sunscald. Avoid fertilizers with high amounts of nitrogen, which produces green leafy growth, not fruit. Use a balanced fertilizer such as a 5-10-5, and apply the recommended amount. More fertilizer is not better.
Passionate NW tomato growers, send me your tips for getting them ripe: dsmith@heraldnet.com.
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