Methods for accelerating the reddening of tomatoes in a greenhouse

If you're wondering how to make tomatoes ripen faster in a greenhouse but don't know exactly what to do, this article will help answer the main questions. It's worth starting with the fact that tomatoes don't ripen slowly without an obvious reason. So, you'll need to pay close attention to your crop, understand what's happening, and how to get the fruits to ripen faster.

Tomato development Regardless of the variety grown, tomatoes go through two stages. During the first month after fruiting, they will grow rapidly, and then should fully ripen within 2-3 weeks. If the vegetable is well-nourished, the tomato will gradually turn red during this period. Initially, the fruit will be green, then brown, and then gradually turn red.

If your tomatoes haven't fully turned red within the specified timeframe, something's wrong with your crop. If it takes more than three weeks for tomatoes to turn red, there's a reason.

Possible reasons why tomatoes take a long time to turn red:
1. Unfavorable growth temperatures. This is the most common reason why tomatoes turn red too quickly in a greenhouse. What should you do in this situation? Check whether the tomatoes are growing in temperatures below 15°C (59°F) or above 35°C (95°F). Lower or higher temperatures disrupt the synthesis of the substance responsible for the red color. In this situation, the tomatoes will turn orange instead of red, and a yellow-green circle will appear near the stem.
2. If tomatoes are exposed to direct sunlight, which can happen even in a greenhouse, this can also be the cause of the problem. The fruit is simply baked in the sun and doesn't have enough time to ripen properly. This problem is characterized by a yellowing of the area near the stem.
3. Also, a sharp change in temperature, humidity, or even lighting can have a negative impact on the reddening of tomatoes.

4. Tomatoes in a greenhouse may ripen unevenly because they're growing too close together. Remember that the minimum distance between plants is 30 centimeters. If you don't follow this planting pattern, the fruits will be small or won't ripen properly.
5. If there's too much nitrogen in the soil and not enough potassium, this will lead to uneven coloring of the crop as it ripens. In this situation, the leaves will have a distinct bronze tint, and the tomatoes will grow crooked. With such a fertilizer imbalance in the soil, the fruits will have hollows inside, the stems of the bushes will be thin, and if the imbalance is severe, the leaves of the plant will curl.
6. How can I make tomatoes turn red faster in the greenhouse? First, identify the cause of this behavior. In addition to the above, another factor should be noted: if a yellow spot appears near the stem, it indicates that the tomatoes belong to a specific variety. This means that no matter how long the tomatoes are kept on the vine, they simply won't develop a full and uniform color due to the variety's characteristics. Only hybrids will develop uniform color when ripening in the greenhouse.

Maturation and factors influencing it

Frankly speaking, there is only one fundamental fact here - tomato variety. In a greenhouse You can get a rich harvest if you grow the varieties "Orange", "Rose", "Octopus" (this is a tomato tree that can grow up to four meters in height and produce a harvest of up to one and a half tons per season).

How to make tomatoes turn red faster in a greenhouse

Let's say the cause has been identified, but what next steps should be taken to speed up tomato ripening and maximize the plant's benefits? To ensure the tomatoes receive maximum autumn sunshine, you'll need to remove unwanted leaves and rotate the tomato stems toward the sun's rays. This procedure is easiest to accomplish on a trellis.

You can supplement with iodine, as a deficiency of this element is also a significant cause of this problem. Spray the plants with 35 drops of iodine diluted in ten liters of water.

Tomato plants will also need to be given limited nutrients. To do this, make a cut through the stem 10 cm above the soil. Insert a wooden plate into the cut to ensure nutrient drainage. Be sure to tie the stem crosswise to enhance drainage, if needed in each specific situation.

The gardener must remember that speed up the reddening of tomatoes in a greenhouse Regularly removing side shoots and lower leaves will help. Remove all new shoots and leaves from the bottom, right down to the clusters where the fruit ripens evenly. In the fall, be sure to prevent late blight by spraying the bushes with a garlic solution.

Some gardeners set an example for other tomatoes. They take a ripe, beautiful tomato and place it next to unripe tomatoes. You'll see that this method is effective, and the tomato will soon begin to redden. This is because ripe tomatoes release ethylene, which acts as a catalyst for unripe tomatoes to turn red. Typically, green tomatoes turn red within just three days using this method.

Another option is to soak the vegetables in alcohol. Add 0.5 milliliters of vodka to the green tomato's root and watch it turn red faster. The fruit will ripen within a few weeks, and its chemical composition will be the same as a natural tomato.

What can you do to make tomatoes ripen faster in a greenhouse? This article provides specific methods for dealing with this unusual, but not critical, issue. But before you begin treating the problem, you need to understand what exactly is causing the delayed ripening.