When it comes to growing tomatoes, sometimes the hardest part is knowing just when to pick them off the plant – not only so you can enjoy the best looking and tasting tomatoes, but also to help the plant stay productive.
While plucking a fully ripe, juicy tomato off the vine sounds like the perfect way to harvest a tomato fruit, it actually isn’t the best option. In fact, allowing tomatoes to ripen on the vine usually ends up with less-than-ideal results.
Not only are the tomatoes much more susceptible to insect and pest damage the longer they stay on the plant, the tomato plants themselves start to suffer when too many tomatoes remain as well.
Tomato plants spend a ton of resources trying to support ripening fruit, which can end up slowing down the production of new blooms. In addition, fruit-overloaded stems can easily get damaged or broken in storms or strong winds.
So how do you really know when the tomatoes are ready for picking? Here is a look at a few simple tips that will allow you to harvest blemish-free, delicious tomatoes – at exactly the perfect time!
How To Know When To Pick Tomatoes
The first key to knowing when to pick is to know how a tomato actually ripens. No matter what tomato variety you are growing, the fruit will always start out as a light green color. This is the same whether you have Cherokee purple plants, pink Brandywine tomatoes, or German green tomatoes.
As soon as the fruit reaches its mature size, it will start to blush or turn its final mature color. This blushing occurs thanks to an internal gas called ethylene being released. (Ethylene is the same gas that also ripens bananas.)
Once you start to see that color form, the tomatoes have reached a stage in the ripening process called the “breaking or blushing” stage. The tomato then seals off the stem via its cells. This causes the fruit to no longer be able to absorb any more nutrients or resources from the plant.
At this point, you can harvest the fruit. The tomatoes will continue to ripen off the vine with no issue at all. And, by picking at this point, you help the tomato avoid all types of future issues if it were to stay on the vine.
Why It’s Best To Pick Early – Knowing When To Pick Tomatoes
There are several issues that can happen when you allow the tomatoes to ripen on the vine. This occurs to both the fruit itself as well as the entire plant.
The longer you allow a tomato to ripen on the plant, the greater the chances are that an insect or some other pest gets to the fruit first. Just like a juicy red tomato is desirable to you, it’s also extremely tempting for pests as well!
In addition, the longer a tomato stays on the vine, it has a higher chance of developing blemishes, sun spots, or splitting and cracking issues. Even a small amount of rainwater from a light afternoon shower sitting on the skin of a tomato can burn the flesh of the fruit.
As for the plant, tomatoes weigh a lot, especially slicing varieties. Some tomatoes can easily grow to be one pound or more. See our article, The 5 Best Beefsteak Tomato Varieties To Grow In Your Garden This Year!
If you have several heavy tomatoes ripening on your plants, there is a high likelihood that the stems and branches can sustain damage from strong winds or a storm. Even if the stems don’t break, the fruit can easily become bruised and/or cut.
Fruit Overload – Knowing When To Pick Tomatoes
The biggest issue that can occur to your tomato plant when too much fruit remains on the plant is what’s referred to as “fruit overload.” Even though tomatoes cannot absorb any more nutrients once they reach the breaker point, they still slow down the production of new blooms.
This is normally the case with indeterminate tomato varieties that continue to produce fruit until the first frost. If too many tomatoes are present and ripening on the plant, it will reduce the number of new blossoms the plants set. This can have a big impact on your overall harvest.
When To Pick & How To Finish Ripening The Tomatoes
So, how do you know when to pick the tomatoes? And how do you finish ripening them then?
Instead of waiting until the entire fruit has turned color, it’s best to harvest the tomatoes when about a third of the fruit has changed. This is usually before insects make their way to the fruit but after the tomato has reached its flavor and growth potential.
Once you have harvested the fruit, do not place it on a sunny windowsill to finish ripening. The sun is no longer needed in order to finish ripening. In fact, it can actually cause uneven ripening or scalding if it’s too hot.
Instead, place the tomatoes on a wire rack or shelf that is in a cool, shaded location. Even a simple cooling rack for baking works great. The location needs to have good airflow with ideal temperatures of around 65 to 70º Fahrenheit. Product Link: Cooling Rack for Baking
Also, avoid placing the tomatoes in the refrigerator. This can actually stop the ripening process altogether. Tomatoes stored in the refrigerator also tend to lose flavor and texture quickly. Here’s to knowing exactly when to pick tomatoes so you can enjoy healthier plants and delicious, blemish-free fruit!
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