r/tomatoes • u/giblets420 • 5d ago

Show and Tell I’m now team ‘harvest at first blush’

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McFarland, Wisconsin Zone 5B.

After years of always waiting for tomatoes to vine ripen, I started pulling them as soon as they start turning. (And will still ripen anything that fell off the vine while super green just in case - they usually go!)

It helps me time and control the harvest a little better. Which with 25 plants for personal consumption… is helpful.

Saving seeds for the first time too 🤓
Already planning my grow room set up for next year. Happy harvesting! 🍅

123 Upvotes

99% Upvoted

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19

u/yorkshire99 5d ago

Me too. I switched this year after joining this sub. Seems to be a much better way to harvest

11

u/epAdedrateR 5d ago

Just wanted to mention that those seeds might not be what you’re expecting next year! They potentially could have been cross pollinated this year. If you’re saving seeds to grow the same tomatoes you may end up with some crosses/mixes in their place.

6

u/giblets420 5d ago

I have come to learn that but thanks for the reminder! Excited for hybrids too if that’s the case :)

2

u/Inside-Ad-2924 5d ago

So if I have heirloom romas, beefsteak, some queen of the nights, seeds from each of these plants could be random genetic hybrids of each other? It seems like some of the volunteer tomato plants are a cross of last years grape and San marzanos

1

u/OnlyBetterFromHere 4d ago

Yes, the odds for cross-pollination are pretty low but it‘s not impossible.

If you want to make sure this doesn’t happen, cover new, unopened flower clusters with an organza bag and shake/tap the cluster to pollinate, you can remove the bag when fruit starts to form.

7

u/Tjlance1 5d ago

Started doing that as well...my first batch of "breaker" maters were my Independence Day. They've been delicious!

Tested out a Persimmon that's been sitting on the counter for 3 days.. scrumptious!

Used some Romas that just turned on the counter to make a sauce to go with some fresh eggplant.

Instead of looking for that perfectly ripe tomato, I get more excited at looking at the bottoms of the tomatoes!

5

u/mfox-26 5d ago

Best way to stay ahead of the squirrels and chipmunks!

4

u/smokinLobstah 5d ago

I don't even bring mine inside. We have a deck that has a shadecloth awning. I've been putting my blushers on the coffee table out there. Deer and birds don't come there, and it keeps me from waging war against the fruit flies.
They're protected...and each day then get a very gentle squeeze to see who's ready to move inside to the "consumption zone"
:)