Garden question

[bbdoll22]

Ok experienced gardeners I need help. We are having a freeze warning tonight. My cherry tomato pants still have a lot of green tomatoes on them. I can't cover then because they are 5 feet tall. Can or should I pick the tomatoes while green? I don't know if they will ripen.thanks.

 

[Winchester]

I don't know if really green green tomatoes will ripen Ok, but I've picked green tomatoes with a bit of red blush on them and put them in the basement on a card table and they've ripened ok. Don't put them in the fridge; they will not ripen that way.

And, of course, you can make foods with green tomatoes: fried green tomatoes, for example. Green tomato relish, green tomato pickles, etc. 

 

[sivyaleah]

I agree with Winchester.  They won't ripen if totally green, but you can try and fry them up.  

You might wind up lucky and the freeze won't destroy them.  Maybe try mulching the bottoms so the root system stays warm?  The leaves might suffer but whatever tomatoes are still there really shouldn't get too ruined by just one night of cold weather.  If it warms up in the next few days it just might give them enough time to ripen a bit more before you pick them off.

 

[bbdoll22]

I dislike green tomatoe anything. These are cherry tomatoes in large patio pots. So if I wrap the pot will it help?

 

[sivyaleah]

Absolutely!

If you can get some burlap, that would be great.  It's the best material I can think of.  Either that, or heavy plastic wrap (clear).  

 

[bbdoll22]

I'm stupid with gardening so be patient. It's the root system I want to keep warm not the tomatoe fruits?

 

[sivyaleah]

Typically, mulching the base will help conserve energy and warmth also - at least for plants such as roses (my specialty).

With tomatoes, I think it's going to take way more than one night of a near-freeze (or freeze) to totally damage what is on the vine.  I have grown them in the past, and had some really cold nights at the end of the year (I'm in NJ so same zone probably as you more or less) and didn't lose too many if at all.  And I didn't protect them either.  Most of the time tomatoes are more prone to damage when they are young.  As long as they have been well watered up until now, and you get them covered to some degree I do think there is a chance you might be able to save them.  The fruits, are nearly mature most likely as it is and much denser than leaves so it would take longer for the cold to penetrate them.  

Not saying you won't lose them, but you might not especially if it warms up again quickly.  If it stays cold, however, I would say you probably will have to take the hit.

 

[sivyaleah]

P.S.  My roses will sometimes go way past the end of October if I've taken good care of them.  I've had early frosts in spring that didn't kill them off and same during the fall.  In fact, some of mine are blooming fairly well still and I was really negligent with them this summer.

 

[sivyaleah]

BB, how did you tomatoes hold up?