Gardeners are being urged to act fast if they have tomatoes still growing in their garden as the Met Office has warned of cold temperatures and rainy days this week
Gardeners with tomatoes still growing are being warned to take urgent action before this weekend arrives.
Plenty of green-fingered enthusiasts are still witnessing their tomato plants thriving well into September, with both standard and cherry varieties continuing to bear fruit long after the scorching August heat subsided. However, this week’s drop in temperatures could spell disaster for those with tomatoes still developing or yet to ripen to red.
Brits are bracing for heavy rain as a large band of precipitation is set to soak the entire UK, with no area escaping the downpour. The public are being urged to carry their umbrellas as wet and windy conditions are expected over the coming days.
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Cold temperatures risk instantly destroying previously flourishing tomato plants, reports the Express. According to other reports, overnight temperatures below 12 to 15 degrees Celsius can impact negatively their growth and production.
One concerned gardener posted on Reddit: “So I have hundreds of unripe tomatoes still on plants (Paul Robeson, Black Beauty, Brandywine, many cherries, some Cornu Des Andes) and the forecast for tonight is a four degree drop with a good chance of frost. Do I leave them or bring the in?”.
A gardening expert responded, urging immediate action to bring the plants indoors. They advised: “If you can, bring them in. I overnight mine in shed with a tube heater so temperatures stay above 10C, if they’re fully matured to the right size but just need ripening, I uproot and hang the whole plant upside down in the shed.”
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Another suggested: “Pick 50-60 percent of them now to ripen inside, see what happens to the rest of them. Maybe lucky some turn orange on the plant, bring them in and repeat, remaining green for chutney.”
The Met Office’s Tuesday forecast reads: “Cloudy with rain moving into the west turning locally heavy and perhaps thundery by midnight. This locally heavy rain will drift slowly east after midnight turning showery by dawn. Minimum temperature 11C.”
In simpler words, gardeners are being encouraged to bring their growing tomato plants indoors to protect them from the sudden temperature drops. Doing so will ensure successful growth without their production being affected. This simple step doesn’t require a lot of time, focusing on the health of plants as the weather becomes more unpredictable over the next couple of weeks.
