# Tomatoes ripening too quick



## 11tonytiger (Apr 18, 2010)

I have some Early Girl plants I planted in March that have been putting out tomatoes that ripen when their about the size of a half dollar or smaller, what is the cause of this ? 

Thanks.....T


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## 007 (Mar 11, 2008)

I've got the same thing. They were fine and producing baseball sized tomatoes before this last round of rain. And I think too much water combined with lots of sunlight and heat are causing this....they're even cracking on the top of them.


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## Gilbert (May 25, 2004)

my celebrities are doing the same thing


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## Meadowlark (Jul 19, 2008)

Its the heat...night time temps consistently in the mid to high seventies are really tough on the tomatoes.


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## 11andy11 (Aug 12, 2004)

too much water to fast right when they where about to ripen combined with the high temps equals end of the tomato season.


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## w_r_ranch (Jan 14, 2005)

We're not having that problem here. Our 'Early Girls' are normal sized (3" - 5")... our problem is we can't eat them fast enough. Same with the 'Romas'... were canning and/or making sauce every day. I'll try to post up pictures of the sauce making process later...

This is about a normal days harvest for us.


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## baytownboy (Jul 24, 2009)

Try upside down like I have going on now hanging from under eaves of back porch


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## JOHNNY QUEST (Mar 6, 2006)

Mine are doing the same thing.. the heat is killin me... I picked obout 70 this morning that should be 3 times as big.. These arn't cherry toms.. they are better bush.. should be hardball size..


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## Haute Pursuit (Jun 26, 2006)

Same here. My Big Beefs are the size of small Celebrities and the Celebrity's are 1/2 normal size. I guess it is the heat.


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## RiverRat1962 (Mar 23, 2009)

Nice maters w_r_r....drool....:0)


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## SwampRat (Jul 30, 2004)

Whoa...that's alot of 'maters.... I was feeling pretty good about my 6/day...

Need to check the variety/size thing. Most of my production thus far has been Taledaga, which I've never grown before.

SR!


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## Haute Pursuit (Jun 26, 2006)

You such W R Ranch!!!! LOL


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## Tate (Aug 25, 2005)

WR,

Very nice harvest. I think I will add those varieties next year. I grew Early Wonder's this year and they are a bust in my opinion. I grew what I thought was a Roma equivalent this year that did well in heat, but I was wrong. Instead, this Porter type tomatoes are like a large cherry tomato. My best producer so far is the BHN 444 variety. Good luck with the rest of the season.

Tate


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## sharplazer (Feb 25, 2010)

*tomatoes for the fall*

Gardening friends, you will be amazed at Stupice and Bloody Butcher tomatoes for the fall. Small about 2-3 oz. But the stupice will litterally put out hundreds for the fall and I have grown them into February. The Stupice actually thrive in cooler weather.

If you want a bigger mater that is a extremely heavy producer and a fast grower try 4th of July, or even better is Sioux. Both are about 4 to 6 oz maters and absolutely delicious.

The small size looks like a vareity issue more than heat. Sometimes the random seed will get into a pack that will throw off a variety if it is planted in to the bed with the others. Also cross pollinating will effect your size. If you have cherries near a bigger vareity remember that most cherries put on as many as 3-4 times the flowers and that is a lot more pollen from them to blend into onto and around other tomatoes.

Last but not least even though tomatoes are a heat loving plant, they only love so much of it before they decide its easier to just grow and not put energy into fruit.

The cracking simply comes from to much water to fast. Almost always happens after a rain. The best solution for this is to plant in raised beds, at least 3 foot high is best. The lighter the beds composition the better the drainage from the roots.

Heep your beds full and high of organic material and you wiill eliminate the most of your cracking problem simply by providing fast and good drainage.

Remember though that non cracking tomatoes are a mankind manipulation. 
Real tomatoes non hybrid types are going to always be susceptible to cracking.


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## CopanoCruisin (May 28, 2006)

After they start fruiting, try consistent 1tablespoon fertilizing once a month...........cC


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## peckerwood (Jun 9, 2012)

I'll take quanity over size any day.I've never had both but 1 time about 3 years ago.


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## Rubberback (Sep 9, 2008)

peckerwood said:


> I'll take quanity over size any day.I've never had both but 1 time about 3 years ago.


To me the cherry's are the best. Great on salads. I snack on them when I'm in the garden.


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