Hearts and vine ripening

[celerystalksmidnite]

A lot of people have success with heart varieties, while a few of us seem to have poor results.

I'm curious if hearts: a. ripen best on the vine, or b. need to be counter-ripened longer than other tomatoes? I know that I pick most of my tomatoes at first blush, as that works well down here, but maybe this does not hold for all varieties. I'm curious if others who have had trouble with hearts are first-blush pickers like me, and if those with good success tend to let fruits ripen on the vine.

I am standing at about 1/7 with hearts, all highly regarded varieties, with most being too dry and firm to enjoy. (Most produced okay or even well, though two gave only one or zero fruits.) Wes was the one exception, with good production and great taste the year I grew it without any deviation from my harvesting norm. Wes is back on the list this year, as well as two new-to-me varieties. I'm tempted to leave them on the vine longer, though this may result in zero fruits for harvest.

[mikemansker]

I love hearts, particularly Wes. I've always let them ripen on the vine.



I'm not sure this limits production. They seem to produce new blooms at the top and I harvest from the bottom. I also use lean and lower. Don't know if that affects anything.

[Worth1]

A tomato on the vine here where I live has to have a sock on it to keep critters away.

[mikemansker]

Originally Posted by Worth1

A tomato on the vine here where I live has to have a sock on it to keep critters away.

That is true here as well. I have a privacy fence which helps with critters, but birds can be a problem. I use aluminum pie plates spinning in the wind to dissuade them.

[celerystalksmidnite]

Originally Posted by Worth1

A tomato on the vine here where I live has to have a sock on it to keep critters away.

Hi, Worth. You would have no reason to remember me, but I have fond memories of talking to you a bit back in the mid 00's, when I lived close to Fort Worth. I never realized you could put a sock around a tomato, but now I'm thinking I recall my grandma using pantyhose.

[celerystalksmidnite]

Originally Posted by mikemansker

I love hearts, particularly Wes. I've always let them ripen on the vine.

Thanks, Mike. That's interesting, that you do let them vine ripen. I know many of the most knowledgeable tomato folks do, particularly in more hospitable growing conditions. I've seen at least one other person who mentioned having poor luck with hearts who I think is a first blush picker like me. What's lean and lower?

[Worth1]

Originally Posted by celerystalksmidnite

Hi, Worth. You would have no reason to remember me, but I have fond memories of talking to you a bit back in the mid 00's, when I lived close to Fort Worth. I never realized you could put a sock around a tomato, but now I'm thinking I recall my grandma using pantyhose.

Actually I remember just about everyone and am shocked to see them including you back from time to time.
I always look at the birthday thing at the bottom and see who is there.
One in particular stands out today.
Neohippie.
She had just graduated university and married.
Use to know Carolyn as a teenager on AOL it think.
Got into a discussion about something people disagreed with and she never came back.
Not even to look see.
Gone zilch over with.
Very sad.

So yes I do remember not everything but most.
Call it a curse if you will.
My boss uses me as a photographic memory bank.

As for the sock it doesn't do anything to stop the thing getting ripe and disguises the tomato.
The deer will eat them green and at first blush the other critters come along.
Cant count how many times I would say just one more day and low and behold the critters were thinking the same thing.

[DapsSeeds]

I never had any problems letting hearts ripen on the vine in my green house. We don't really have problems with critters in The Netherlands so that makes it easier I guess. Never tried to grow hearts (and big beefsteaks) outside. I always felt like they need that extra protection.

[PaulF]

Usually about half the varieties in the tomato garden here are hearts. There is really no difference between the hearts and any other variety on how they ripen. I like to harvest tomatoes so that they have about a day or two to full ripeness, but from first blush to fully ripe works.

Thankfully we do not have the critter problem. My garden is surrounded by an eight foot deer fence, but even before that the deer ate green beans, beets and peppers and left the tomatoes alone.

[celerystalksmidnite]

Originally Posted by Worth1

So yes I do remember not everything but most.
Call it a curse if you will.

Well, it might introduce a fly in the ointment when it comes to forgive and forget, but I wouldn't go so far as to call it a curse. I used to have a pretty sharp memory, but years of erratic sleep have made it spotty. I don't recall that particular tomatovillian (I do see it is Craig's birthday, how bout that!) nor my ever making any trouble (here) that would keep them from letting me back. I do recall your Arctic sojourns, Carolyn's love for Great Danes, Craig's kayaking trips to the Outer Banks, Earl, Jeri, Keith...and that politics and tomatoes don't really mix. I never got mad, I guess I just ran out of things to say about tomatoes, life intervened, and I didn't have the know-how to maintain friendships, but I have been back over the years around seed starting time.

I'm going to try the sock thing. In my yard, the deer will eat the leaves and vines just as readily as the fruits. I could swear I catch them even giving me a once over from time to time

[celerystalksmidnite]

Originally Posted by DapsSeeds

Never tried to grow hearts (and big beefsteaks) outside. I always felt like they need that extra protection.

Is that because of the days to maturity? I can understand that, especially in certain climates. We have so many critters looking to eat our gardens, it's a wonder they don't quarrel with each other and leave our tomatoes alone.

[celerystalksmidnite]

Originally Posted by PaulF

Usually about half the varieties in the tomato garden here are hearts. There is really no difference between the hearts and any other variety on how they ripen. I like to harvest tomatoes so that they have about a day or two to full ripeness, but from first blush to fully ripe works.

Thankfully we do not have the critter problem. My garden is surrounded by an eight foot deer fence, but even before that the deer ate green beans, beets and peppers and left the tomatoes alone.

Hmm, so there is some evidence against this theory. If it is not a ripeness issue, I can't explain why the hearts in my gardens are such duds when the other plants around them taste just fine (or quite excellent, often).

The deer ate my pole beans down to nothing my first year growing here, and snacked on pepper plants, too, but they had no problem chowing down any parts of my plants they could reach.

[DapsSeeds]

Days to maturity but most of all the rain. Rain is the biggest threat to my tomatoes because after rain comes blight. I grow most of my tomatoes in the green house and the ones I grow outside (mostly dwarfs and determinates) are in containers I can bring in when it rains.

[celerystalksmidnite]

Makes sense! I'd love to have a greenhouse.

[Worth1]

Smelly work cloths and my pee poured in the general area seems to keep the deer away.
No way can I put a deer fence up where my stuff grows along the driveway.