This year, my tomato growing season extended right into the month of June (which is the first month of winter here in Australia). We had quite a warm autumn, so my plants kept growing and producing fruits well beyond normal.
That was after my plants suffered a bit of a setback towards the end of summer, when the dreaded tomato hornworm decided my plants were particularly good to munch on. So, I decided to give all the plants a trim, in the hope that they would spring back. This is exactly what they did, in spectacular fashion, after I discovered an amazing product known as Who Flung Dung. For those who aren’t familiar with it, it’s a mulch made primarily from fine-shredded bark and poultry manure.
I applied it liberally around the base of the plants and waited to see what would happen. The plants put on a stunning new flush of growth, and I watched excitedly as a whole bunch of new fruits started to develop.
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The Tomato Tickle Did Wonders
Because I had now covered the plants with a mesh crop cover to protect them from those hungry green grubs, I worried that they wouldn’t set fruit, even though the flowers are self-pollinating.
So, I did a bit of research and discovered the tomato tickle trick. What this involves is just gently shaking the plants, just behind the flowers, to help the pollen drop down into the female portion of the flower. Every morning, I went out and gently shook the plants, and it worked.
In commercial greenhouse production, I found out that the growers actually used a vibration device, similar to an electric toothbrush, to serve the same purpose. But, the name ‘tomato tickle’ actually came from a practice that uses a soft brush to just ‘tickle’ the inside of each bloom.
No matter which method you use, trying this out will definitely increase your fruit production.
Green Tomatoes Aren’t A Problem If You Have A Sunny Windowsill
We finally saw the arrival of cold weather (I’m in the south of the country) around June, and soon the plants started looking less-than-happy. But, I still had a few fruits that hadn’t coloured up enough for good eating. And, I certainly didn’t want to waste them after all that effort.
So, I decided to collect them all and placed them on a sunny windowsill indoors. Interestingly, this is a practice I’ve been following for years anyway, even during the warmer months, when I want the fruits to ripen well. I chose those fruits that were a decent size and that I deemed ready for ripening.
It didn’t take long for these unripe tomatoes to start showing some colour, and after only a few short weeks, they were ready for eating. Imagine enjoying fresh, homegrown tomatoes in the middle of winter!
Anyway, I still have three fruits waiting to turn that gorgeous red colour before we can enjoy them in a salad. Next year, I’m keen to try some indoor growing in my large garage, which has plenty of light from two large windows, but I need to get the right gear to do that first.
To Sum Up
What I really want to convey is not to pull your plants out too early if you have the available space to allow them to grow and keep producing. Believe me, you’ll know when they’ve finally succumbed to the cold weather. You might even want to know how to grow tomatoes on a balcony in containers, which could help to extend your harvest time.
Most importantly, don’t toss out all those green tomatoes after the plants have given up. Instead, pop them onto a nice bright windowsill and watch the sun work its magic to ripen them to perfection.
