Maximise your tomato harvest: End-of-season guide

Growing tomatoes can be rewarding, but it’s not without challenges. This guide will help you understand common issues, improve your tomato harvest and make the most of your crop.

Troubleshooting poor productivity

If your tomato yield is disappointing, consider these potential causes:

• Insufficient sunlight
  • Tomatoes require a minimum of 8 hours of sunlight daily. Ensure your plants are positioned in a sunny spot.

• Poor soil quality
  • Tomatoes thrive in rich soil. Use high-quality compost or well-rotted manure to improve soil fertility.

• Inadequate pollination
  • Encourage pollinators by planting flowers nearby. Bumblebees are particularly effective at pollinating tomatoes.

• Container size
  • For potted tomatoes, use containers with a diameter and depth of at least 30 cm.

• Irregular watering
  • Maintain consistent soil moisture. Apply mulch around the base of plants, whether in the ground or containers.

• Temperature issues
  • In cold regions, consider greenhouse or tunnel cultivation. For greenhouse growing, ensure proper ventilation during hot weather.

• Unsuitable varieties
  • For short growing seasons, choose early-ripening varieties or grow in greenhouses.

Harvesting for optimal flavour

Timing your harvest
Tomatoes reach peak flavour when fully ripened on the plant. Harvest typically begins 60 to 90 days after transplanting, depending on the variety.

Determinate vs indeterminate varieties
Determinate varieties produce fruit over a concentrated period, while indeterminate varieties tend to yield over several weeks.

Harvesting technique

Small tomatoes often detach easily. For larger fruits, gently twist or use secateurs for a clean cut. Avoid damaging nearby unripe fruit.

Late-season management

As autumn approaches and night temperatures drop to around 10°C, take these steps:

1. Prune the tops of indeterminate varieties if not already done.
2. Remove unpollinated flowers.
3. Prune diseased leaves, but avoid excessive leaf removal.
4. Reduce watering frequency once fruit has reached full size.

Dealing with cold weather

Tomato plants are sensitive to cold. When night temperatures fall below 5°C:

• Protect plants overnight with a floating cover for temporary cold snaps.
• Harvest any full-sized fruit, even if still green, when cold weather persists.

Indoor ripening techniques

Tomatoes continue to ripen after the tomato harvest due to ethylene gas production. To facilitate this process:

1. Group tomatoes in a non-airtight, non-plastic container.
2. Include a ripe tomato, apple or banana to boost ethylene levels.
3. Use brown paper bags, cardboard boxes or covered seedling trays.
4. Keep fruits separated to prevent rot.
5. Store in a warm place, but below 30°C.
6. Inspect regularly, removing ripe or spoiled fruit.

For more on ripening tomatoes when they are not turning red, read this post.

For slower ripening, store late harvests at 13-16°C, never below 10°C.

Hopefully, these guidelines, will help you maximise your tomato yield, extend your tomato harvest and allow you to enjoy home-grown tomatoes well into the winter months.