Tomato Theft

[Andy Hamilton]

My back yard is North facing and my allotment site has had pretty bad blight for the last two years. So I have to grow my tomatoes in the front garden. The trouble is there are constantly people walking past and one decided to start helping herself. A neighbour pointed it out to me that she was waiting until my toms were very red then picking them. I wondered why I was suddenly not getting fruit.

The Neighbour told me what she looked like so I simply put a sign up saying "Black Haired girl stop stealing my tomatoes", after being away overnight I got my first big crop of tomatoes. It would appear that the sign is working (at least for now)

So if you have the same trouble perhaps a sign would work too.

[Shirley]

Good idea - you could also leave a note to suggest that if she wants help to grow some she could just ask for hints and tips :D

[Andy Hamilton]

Good idea - you could also leave a note to suggest that if she wants help to grow some she could just ask for hints and tips :D

I have put a copy of the book in my window instead!

[adekun]

It's a pity it doesn't work for animals and birds.

[mrsflibble]

or snails.

hey if she wont ask for help I will; got any tips on getting yellow ones to properly ripen? I've had some big green toms on my yellowtom plant for weeks now and they're just not getting yellow!!!

[Andy Hamilton]

or snails.

hey if she wont ask for help I will; got any tips on getting yellow ones to properly ripen? I've had some big green toms on my yellowtom plant for weeks now and they're just not getting yellow!!!

Well we could do with some more sun. Just have to have patience really.

[MKG]

Ripening toms - stick an extremely ripe banana right next to them. Sounds ridiculous, but it works - even with green toms in a bowl on the windowsill.

[ina]

I've also heard the tip of hanging banana skins into the tomato plants... Hey, that might even deter tomato thieves!

[Enormous Sage]

Ripening toms - stick an extremely ripe banana right next to them. Sounds ridiculous, but it works - even with green toms in a bowl on the windowsill.

Ooh! I'll give that a go!
Mine are all green and not looking like they want to go ripe. Gotta be worth a try!

[mrsflibble]

ok, one of them is just starting to go a little yellower... but I shall indeed hang a bana from them. thanks everyone!!!

[AXJ]

Ripening toms - stick an extremely ripe banana right next to them. Sounds ridiculous, but it works - even with green toms in a bowl on the windowsill.

Excellent tip MKG, used it with avacados, never thought of using it for toms. The other thing to remember it to be sure that if you pick green ones, or slightly yellow ones make sure they still have at least the stalk attached, this is where the enzimes for ripening come from (so I am told ), which presumably Avocados and Tomatos hijack from a ripe banana to augment what they have after picking.

[Wombat]

The banana/skin gives off ehtylene gas, which assists the ripening of fruit!

Nev

[AXJ]

Thanks Nev, I have always wondered. I know that end of season comercial toms are often picked well green, then ripend in storage when required for retail by flooding them with gas, I imagine that must be ehtylene gas as well. It is also the explaination for tastless ripe toms on the supermarket shelves, so I am told. (Known in the Florida trade as Christmas Toms, due to their bright red and green appearance)

[yerma]

We've added a banana to a drawer full of unripe tomatoes before now, it works very well. Although its best not to forget to look occasionally!
Ours seem to be ripening reasonably well now, those that aren't blighted that is.