Debate: autumn cold ruins tomato flavor

[Ruth_10]

I think the lowered angle of the sun , coupled with the shorter days (reduced total photosynthesis), makes as much difference as anything. It doesn't get that cold (i.e. below 50 F) here at night until October, but the taste starts to fall off before that.

[greggf]

We have an Earthbox, or at least the Gardener's Supply Co. version. It works great. Carolyn could well enjoy using them. When it starts to get cold this time of year, you can buy carts for them and wheel them into a garage or shed, too, then take them back out the next day when it's warmer.

Suze, our experiences match yours re: the various 40's temps and durations, and what they do to flavor. We get lake effect clouds and rain up here as well as snow, and Syracuse is one of the cloudiest U.S. cities, so that's a factor, too.

Mark, can't taste test with you guys, but thanks, and have fun and take pictures!!

=gregg=

[elkwc36]

I don't notice much if any drop off here till in October. Then after we get the first few nights that hit the upper 30's I can tell a difference for sure. But still so much better for salsa and BT's than the store bought I never have any trouble getting rid of them right up till frost. I have noticed the fruit from late plants of the same variety as an early one tastes better. Just my experience. Jay

[dice]

The attenuation of flavor in cold weather
could vary with cultivar, too. I have a couple
of plants that always seem to suffer more
than the others on the hottest days. They
are different cultivars, but both have dark
blue-green leaves. I'll be curious to see
if they also retain more flavor in the cold
weather than plants of cultivars that seemed
to be more heat tolerant.

(Maybe not. Some cultivars could simply be more
tolerant of temperature extremes than most,
producing better tomatoes in both colder and
hotter weather than what would be ideal for
most garden tomato plants.)

[carolyn137]

It will beat a regular container hands down unless you can keep up with all the fertilizing a regular container requires. With an EB all you do is add the fertilizer at the beginning and never do a single thing to it except water.

******

Oh yes, I do know about Earthboxes, a lot as Suze notes, b'c I do post at DG and a lot of folks there use them.

As for portability, that's not possible b'c I can't push anything when using the walker and the garage is a good 150 ft away over lawn first, then landscaping stones in the driveway then up a small incline into the garage.

I've given it some thought before, but to be perfectly honest, for the few tomato plants that I grow now, I'd just as soon try to find an additional person to help with watering in general and fertilization and weeding, now that Freda has planted all the new perennials and roses and daylilies and hostas and shrubs.

This year I had just six tomato plants at the end of the big raised bed, the rest being planted with mini roses and lots of perennials, the rest of the tomatoes being in large containers in the back and two being at the end of the deck in the front where I can harvest the fruits if there are any.

I've even given some thought to having someone construct some 3 ft high raised beds just for my veggies and fruits.

But right now it's all just up to me to make up my mind as to what I want to do versus what I can do versus what I think I can afford now that the stock market is down about 1000 points re my retirement monies. I can't be impinging on my dark chocolate and nut budgets.

Fact is, I also have a goal of losing 60 more # before next June 1 so maybe I can borrow from my choco and nut monies.

[where_with_all]

I have noticed a huge difference in flavor over the past week as temperatures have gotten colder at night. More a problem with the beafsteaks then the sungolds.

[feldon30]

I visualize Carolyn having a small deck installed with a recessed area that will hold 10-12 Earthboxes about 2 feet lower than the deck level. Of course what would be really nifty is to have an engineer come out and install a platform that can be raised and lowered via a remote control and put the earthboxes on that platform.

[Guarimn]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/...ng-to-science/

Sugar, Acid, and Volatile compounds. According to the article, these are the three components of tomato flavor. A 2016 study reported that the longer that you expose your fruit to colder temps the greater the loss of Volatiles. They used refrigeration at 41 degrees but they say that below 53 degrees the production of those compounds begins to drop.

Other things that decrease flavor mentioned in previous posts...
A)older plants have different "plumbing" and do not produce as vibrant fruits
B)decreased photosynthesis means less nutrients and less vibrant fruits
C)A Sungold Cherry will not be affected as would larger tomatoes


Does anybody know how much of A,B, and C is related to sugars and acid? How important are the volatile compounds in everyone's opinion?

I'm anticipating an average dip into the high 40's for 3 hours a day. My tomatoes are light green and at or close to the blushing stage. I'm thinking of taking them all in and ripening them indoors. Would you guys do the same?

[habitat_gardener]

As long as your tomatoes have reached breaker stage, go ahead and pick them. You can find photos of the degrees of tomato ripeness online. In most varieties, you can see a faint “starburst” on the blossom end at breaker stage, sometimes with a slight bit of color.

[PaulF]

Wow! This is a thread out of the distant past. Lots of responders who either don't or can't answer or take part in the site. Today is the last day for live tomato plants in my garden and I will harvest everything still on the vines just to see what ripens. And I have no opinion or proof of late season flavor differences but had to reply anyway. With only ten or twelve ripe tomatoes on the counter, I will savor them right up to the end.

[Fred Hempel]

While cold nights and shorter days clearly affect flavor, we noticed a few years ago that fruits in our open greenhouse (warmer days, but same night-time lows) were much tastier later in the year, compared to tomatoes in the field. So warm daytime temperatures seem to be able to counteract most of the effects of cool nights and less light in the fall. In our experience.

[SharonRossy]

It got cold in Montreal faster than usual and then warm weather. My large tomatoes while starting to ripen got soft very quickly and lacked flavor. The cherries kept going, in fact, I have some still growing next to the house, but again the flavor isn’t there.

[Volvo]

Originally Posted by SharonRossy

It got cold in Montreal faster than usual and then warm weather. My large tomatoes while starting to ripen got soft very quickly and lacked flavor. The cherries kept going, in fact, I have some still growing next to the house, but again the flavor isn’t there.

Tad simmilar this neck o the woods whereas i planted out later than i normally would.
We had a longer colder Winter than normal here with the Tomatos taking from four and a little longer to mature as well as ripen.
Those that ripened whilst we still experinced a bit of cold were firm and watery at the same time and nwhilst the flavour were there with some of them , the ones that ripened when the weather warmed up some were far superior in flavour,
Same variety of fruit , from same plant at times .
Just a different season all round here this year with weather..
Fruits i picked in the last few days one wouldnt think came of the same plant??..
Same with my Chocolate Plum Cherry variety , Packed to the rafters with fruit but most splitting from what i think was due to cold and wet feet ??...
Pulled most out after gathering another seed collection from them though sure the same little plot will be overun with them next year..
Interesting to see how Whoz and Mcsee's fruits outcome is with all the wet they are experiencing down south although their season is just starting..