Toms still hanging in there. Should I water with warm water?

[Duyentb]

Our first frost was last night. I covered my tomatoes with a blanket and tarp. They seem to have made it through the night. It is supposed to be 25 degrees tonight. I plan to do the same thing again. The rest of the week is supposed to be mild, not falling below 40 but not going above 70. Should I water with warm water to try to get those green toms to turn red? They aren't budging. I need more time.

[lancashire lass]

Hi Duyentb & welcome - if you are in the UK, I'm afraid time is running out despite the current topsy turvy weather although I admire how you've managed to keep them going for so long. One day it will be mild, the next could be after a penetrating frost when you might lose the lot - at this time of year you might find the tomatoes won't taste as nice either.

A good trick to ripen tomatoes quickly is to pick them off the plants, bring indoors where it is warm, and spread on a tray (or a drawer) Put an over ripened banana skin (or several well ripened tomatoes or other fruits like apple) amongst them. Then cover with a tea towel or similar. The key is ethylene gas (has a sweet fruity smell) which is produced when most fruit ripen and is trapped under the cloth - this triggers unripened fruit to start to ripen as well (natures way of inviting animals to visit the plants and eat the fruit so they will go away and scatter seeds elsewhere - an animal is more likely to visit a plant with lots of ripened fruits rather than one where there is only one or two) Out of interest, fruits like bananas are often picked while still green for transporting abroad, and then put into big rooms flooded with ethylene gas for the purpose of ripening them ready for sale in the shops.

[Duyentb]

Thank for sharing your experience ! Lancashire las
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