Why are my tomatoes not turning red? This is a very common question that I get asked a lot!
In this post, I will talk about when tomatoes should turn red, and give you some reasons why they don’t. Then I’ll share my five tricks for how to ripen tomatoes on the vine faster.
Are your tomatoes slow to ripen on the vine? There’s nothing more frustrating about growing them than being forced to frantically pick tons of green tomatoes the night before frost.
Then you bring them inside to ripen, where most of them end up rotting in a paper bag on your counter instead. Yuck!
If you live in a cold climate like I do, you start to get pretty nervous in late summer when your plants are full of large tomatoes that aren’t ripening.
If you’re tired of being stuck with tons of green tomatoes in the fall, I’ve got you covered.
But first, let’s talk about when tomatoes should ripen, and the most common problems that cause them to stay green.
Table of Contents
When Do Tomatoes Ripen & Turn Red?
The exact tomato ripening time depends on a few things, like the variety that you have, and your growing zone.
What month tomatoes ripen for the picking depends on a lot of factors the climate you live in, and a big factor is the temperature and sunlight exposure (they need warmth and full sun).
To give you an idea, here in Minnesota (z4b), my early tomatoes start ripening on the vine sometime in late-June. But the bulk of them don’t start turning red in mid-July, or even later in the summer.
How Long Does It Take For Tomatoes To Ripen?
In general, it takes about 6-8 weeks after the flowers are pollinated for tomatoes to ripen and turn red on the plant.
However, if there’s anything wrong with the environment, like extremely hot temperatures in the summer for example, then it will slow or even stop the ripening process.
That means your mature tomatoes will stay green on the vine, and they can stay that way for a very long time.
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Why Aren’t My Tomatoes Turning Red?
There are a few things that prevent tomatoes from ripening. Some varieties will mature faster than others, but temperature and plant health are huge factors too.
Here are the 3 main reasons why your tomatoes aren’t turning red…
1. Temperature
Tomatoes won’t turn red if it’s too hot (above 85°F, or 29.4°C) or too cold (below 50°F, or 10°C ). This is probably the biggest culprit for most people, especially during a heatwave.
There’s not much you can about the weather. But you can try protecting your plant from extreme heat with a shade cloth, and add a thick layer of mulch over the top of the rootball to help cool down the soil.
Otherwise, your tomatoes will ripen once the weather cools down or warms up again.
2. Plant Is Overgrown
As tomato plants mature through the summer, they can become huge and overgrown.
When that happens, they tend to spend most of their energy on producing leaves and flowers, rather than ripening tomatoes.
Properly pruning them throughout the summer is important, and will result in more red tomatoes. So keep that in mind for the future.
3. Too Many Green Tomatoes
When your tomato plant is covered with small, immature fruits, they can steal energy away from ripening the mature ones.
So if you’re staring at a bunch of green tomatoes not turning red in late summer, don’t worry, it’s not too late!
There are still a few tricks you can try to give them one last push to ripen before cold temperatures are here to stay.
Related Post:How To Make Sturdy DIY Tomato Cages
How To Ripen Tomatoes On The Vine Faster (5 Easy Tricks)
We can’t force the plant to ripen tomatoes on the vine, but there are a few things we can do to help encourage them to turn red.
So, if fall is quickly approaching, and you’re stuck wondering how to turn green tomatoes red, then try these five tricks…
1. Cut Off The New Growth
The season is coming to an end, so your plant doesn’t need to waste anymore energy on new leaves.
Topping the plant and cutting off all the new foliage will give it more energy to ripen tomatoes faster.
2. Trim The Flowers
It takes a couple of months for tomatoes to ripen after the flowers have been pollinated.
This late in the season, it’s a pretty sure bet that new flowers aren’t going to amount to anything. So pick off all the flowers.
Related Post: How To Can Cherry Tomatoes
3. Pinch The Suckers
Suckers are the smaller stems that form between a branches and leaf joint. They get their name because they suck energy from the plant.
So be sure to pinch off all of the suckers you see on your tomato plant.
4. Pluck Off Tiny Tomatoes
I know it’s hard to remove any tomatoes from the plant, but these poor little babies won’t have time to mature before frost.
Pull them off so your plant can focus on ripening the larger green tomatoes on the vine instead.
5. Prune Some Of The Leaves
Don’t cut off all of the leaves, de-leafing tomatoes is never a good idea, even at the end of the season.
But if your plant is huge and full of healthy green leaves, you can trim off much of that vigorous growth.
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What To Do With Green Tomatoes
If you still have a ton of green tomatoes after trying all of these tricks for ripening them on the vine, all is not lost.
Once frost comes, you can gather all of them and bring them inside. Any that have started blushing will usually turn red on your counter.
But even the totally green ones are still good to eat, and there are a ton of ways you can use them. One of my favorites is pickling them, it’s easy and delicious!
FAQs
Below I’ve answered some of the most common questions I get about tomatoes not ripening on the vine. If you can’t find yours here, add it to the comments section.
How do I encourage my tomatoes to turn red?
To encourage your tomatoes to turn red on the vine, try giving your plant extra shade if the temperature is over 85°F (29.4°C). You can also remove the tiny green tomatoes and extra flowers, and cut back the foliage to force the plant to put its energy into ripening the mature fruits.
Why are my tomatoes growing but not turning red?
When your tomatoes keep growing but not turning red, it’s usually because the temperature is too hot (above 85°F, or 29.4°C). But it could also be because the plant is focusing too much energy on producing new fruits and foliage.
Why is it taking so long for my tomatoes to turn red?
The reason it takes so long for your tomatoes to turn red is usually because it’s too hot. They won’t ripen when it get above 85°F (29.4°C). You can try giving them extra shade and mulch the roots to help keep them cool.
Sometimes tomatoes can be slow to ripen, but that doesn’t mean you can’t help to speed things up. If you’re tired of your tomatoes not ripening on the vine, then try these easy hacks to turn green tomatoes red in no time. Check out my cool web story to learn even more.
If you want to learn how to grow your food vertically, then my book Vertical Vegetables is just what you need. It will teach you all you need to know, plus you’ll get plans for building almost two dozen projects. Order your copy today!
More Vegetable Gardening Posts
- How To Pollinate Squash By Hand For Maximum Production
- How To Grow Blueberries In Pots Or The Garden
- How To Grow Garlic In Your Garden
More About Tomatoes
- How To Tell Determinate vs Indeterminate Tomatoes
- How To Grow Tomatoes In Pots
- Sun Dried Cherry Tomatoes: An Easy Homemade Recipe
Share your tomato ripening tips in the comments section below.
