When can tomatoes be picked in the regions so they ripen faster?

Growing tomatoes in greenhouses allows you to harvest tomatoes in any climate. Ripening occurs faster in greenhouses than in open ground. To increase the number of ovaries, the fruits should be picked at technical maturity for further ripening. After relieving the tomato plants of their burden, the plant again devotes its energy to forming new vegetables. The time to harvest the tomatoes for ripening depends on a number of factors. So, when should you harvest tomatoes?

Factors Affecting Tomato Ripening

The ripening of tomatoes in a greenhouse is influenced by:

1. Tomato variety. All tomatoes are classified by variety as follows: ultra-early (80-85 days), early (90-95 days), mid-early (100-103 days), mid-season (100-115 days), and late (120-130 days). Pay attention when choosing a tomato variety. If you plant a late-ripening variety, don't expect it to ripen before the stated time.
2. Growing conditions. Tomatoes prefer light, warmth, and moderate moisture. If the optimal microclimate isn't established, the plants will slow down in growth and development, meaning they won't ripen quickly. During growth, the air temperature should be 23-25°C, and during fruit set, it should be reduced to 18-20°C. Humidity should be maintained at 60-80% at all times.
3. Maintaining soil nutrition. Tomatoes need to be provided with nutrients throughout the growing season. Micronutrients such as potassium, phosphorus, calcium, and magnesium influence the formation of large fruits and overall stability. Without these nutrients, rapid plant growth, formation, and ripening of tomatoes should be avoided.
4. Bush care. Removing the lower leaves and some of the upper leaves helps the fruit ripen quickly.

Tips: What to do and what not to do while tomatoes are ripening

When to pick fruits for ripening in different climate zones?

The process of ripening tomatoes is relevant for the Moscow region, the Urals, and Siberia. Even though the plants are grown under film or polycarbonate, they are still exposed to the sun and atmospheric air.

1. Cold snaps arrive earlier in the Urals and Siberia than in other regions. Not every gardener has the ability to heat a greenhouse, so a severe frost can ruin even a greenhouse's tomato crop. To prevent the fruit from being lost due to a drop in temperature, they need to be harvested for ripening. The final harvest of late-ripening tomatoes is recommended no later than October.
2. Weather conditions in the Moscow region can also change unexpectedly. Therefore, it's best to ripen the last tomato harvest indoors.
3. Ripening on the bushes is affected by daylight hours. In Siberia and the Urals, daylight hours are very short, so the plant doesn't have time to fully absorb sunlight, which means all processes within the plant occur more slowly.

In what cases are fruits picked for ripening?

There are several cases where you have to resort to picking tomatoes for ripening:

• when you need to increase yield;
• If you need to transport fruit over long distances. Ripe tomatoes can spoil quickly during transportation, but green ones don't;
• if tomatoes grow in the garden and there is no opportunity to harvest every day;
• when the first frosts are approaching, but the vegetables are not ripe yet.

Which tomatoes should be picked for ripening?

Tomatoes, from fruit formation to full ripeness, go through several periods:

• The first stage is the formation of the vegetable mass and seed material. The fruits are a rich green color, very dense, and small in size;
• The second stage – the fruits begin the ripening process. The skin changes color to a light green, with a milky tint, and the fruits become less firm than in the first stage;
• third stage – tomatoes begin to acquire a pink tint, the pulp becomes juicy and sweet;
• The fourth stage is full ripening. The skin turns red or pink (depending on the variety planted), and the seed material is fully ripe and can be harvested and planted in subsequent planting seasons.

Green tomatoes (stage one) should not be picked for ripening when they are just beginning to develop mass. These tomatoes will not ripen. Milk-colored tomatoes have already fully reached their established mass and can be picked and stored indoors to ripen. They will reach full ripeness within 50-60 days from the time they are picked. Stage three tomatoes are also picked for ripening. They will ripen indoors in 1-2 weeks.

Conditions for ripening tomatoes

To ensure tomatoes ripen after being picked from the bush, you need to create the appropriate conditions:

1. Air temperature. To preserve the fruit longer, the room temperature should be 10-12°C. To speed up the ripening process, increase the temperature to 20-25°C.

2. Humidity. The air in the storage area must be humid. If the humidity falls below 70%, the fruits will begin to lose moisture and, instead of ripening, will begin to wrinkle and dry out.
3. Storage. To help tomatoes ripen faster, place them in a well-lit area (window sill, balcony). Small quantities can be laid out on a shelf or table. If you have a large number of tomatoes, store them in a box in no more than two layers, allowing for good air circulation.
4. Tomato care. To prevent condensation on the tomatoes, place them between napkins or newspapers. Excess moisture can cause them to rot.

Ripening tomatoes indoors is a great way to preserve the last harvest longer, increase yield, and also give greenhouse tomatoes an early taste.