Tomatoes just don't turn red

Botanical to the tomato

the tomato belongs to the nightshade family, all of which contain the poisonous solanine in the leaves and stems. In the tomato plant, however, unripe fruits also contain the poison, which is why they are not edible. The fruits are counting too fruitas they are to the Berry belong.

The herbaceous plants reach a height of up to three meters, depending on the variety. In the past only red and round tomatoes were known, today you can get tomatoes in a wide variety of colors and shapes.

Overview of different varieties

The names of the different types are usually trade names. Some relate to the peculiarities of the plants, others to the peculiarities of the fruits.

Features of different types of tomatoes

description	Designation refers to	Specialty
Vine tomatoes	the growth	Plants branch out strongly and grow in width You don't need any support
Balcony tomatoes / pot tomatoes	the growth	Vine tomatoes that stay small and are suitable for pots and window boxes
Cocktail tomatoes	the fruit	Panicles with small fruits that as shrub- and balcony tomatoes can occur.
Cherry tomatoes / cherry tomatoes	the fruit	Panicles with small fruits that are sweeter than other varieties and can be found as shrub and balcony tomatoes
Romatic tomatoes / plum tomatoes	the fruit	Panicles with egg-shaped fruits, mostly found as vine tomatoes Tomatoes contain a lot of firm pulp
Beefsteak tomato	the fruit	Large fruits with ribs and a lot of firm pulp, which mostly occur as vine tomatoes
Vine tomatoes	Maturity type	All fruits of a panicle ripen at the same time and usually occur as vine tomatoes When harvesting, the whole panicle is cut off from the plant
Chocolate tomatoes	the color of the fruit	Dark to black, very sweet tomatoes

Why some fruits don't turn red

Among the modern varieties there are some varieties that ripen green or have green stripes when ripe. In addition, yellow, brown, purple and black tomato varieties are known. These varieties never turn red.

Usually tomatoes always ripen if the autumn cold does not set in too early. You can hood the plants to protect them from the cool air so that they have ample time to mature. Put apples or banana peels in the tomato house. The ripening gas ethylene flows from these. It accelerates the ripening process and the breakdown of solanine.

Diseases such as brown rot or blossom end rot cause tomatoes to rot on the plant. With stem rot, the plant dies before the fruit is ripe. Harvest the green, unaffected fruits in good time to allow them to ripen.

Let the green fruit ripen

If the outside temperature drops below 12 degrees, there is a simple trick. Cut healthy plants that have unripe tomatoes hanging from them just above the ground. Hang this upside down in a warm place, your tomatoes will turn red quickly this way. Use the following checklist for diseased plants:

• Cut healthy tomatoes off the stem with a small piece.
• Examine the fruit and discard any that are not absolutely okay.
• Put the tomatoes and an apple in a bag or wrap it in newspaper.
• Keep the package in a not too warm place at 18 to 20 degrees.
• Check every other day whether the fruits are already ripe and remove them.
• Discard rotten tomatoes immediately.

Don't worry if your tomatoes don't turn red. You can simply let green fruits ripen. They taste just as good as they are picked from the bush. For more tips on growing and ripening tomatoes, see the links below:

Growing tomatoes

Vine tomatoes

Tomatoes in Glasshouse

Tips for caring for tomatoes