COLUMNIST: ELI APPLEBY-DONALD
So this month, we’re switching gears slightly. It’s no longer about growing bigger, taller plants, it’s about helping our plants finish strong and getting the very best harvest we can before the weather turns. So in this issue, we’ll look at how to maximise your harvest.
By August, it’s a bit of a race against time. Our Scottish weather can start to turn quickly once we hit late summer, so the name of the game now is to help your plants focus all their energy on getting the existing fruits to ripen, rather than wasting time and effort on starting new ones.
Here’s what to focus on at this stage:
Have a good look at your plants and take note of how many fruits are already formed. Anything that’s a decent size, even if it’s still green, is worth encouraging.
If you’re growing larger-fruited varieties like beefsteaks, any new flowers or tiny fruits forming at this stage are very unlikely to have time to develop and ripen properly before the season ends.
If you’re growing smaller-fruited types like cherry tomatoes, you’ve got a bit more leeway. Those little fruits can ripen much faster, so you might still get a few bonuses if the weather holds.
It feels brutal, but trust me, it’s better to sacrifice a few tiny, never-going-to-ripen fruits so that the plant can concentrate on finishing off the ones already there, rather than ending up with a huge harvest of tiny, hard, green, underdeveloped fruit.
Remove any damaged or diseased fruits too, they’ll only sap energy that could go towards ripening healthy ones.
Make sure your plants aren’t overcrowded. More light and air around the fruit = better ripening and less risk of blight.
Now’s the time for a big prune, a proper end-of-season tidy up to help those final fruits ripen. Here’s what I do:
For indeterminate (cordon) tomatoes, I pinch out the growing tip once the plant has set between four and seven good trusses of fruit.
If you're growing outdoors, I recommend topping after around four trusses. In a greenhouse, you can go up to six or seven trusses, because the warmer environment will stretch your season by a few more weeks.
Snipping off the top stops the plant from putting energy into new growth and focuses everything on ripening the existing fruit.
Start removing some of the larger leaves, especially any shading fruit. Don’t strip the plant bare, but let the sun get to the tomatoes to warm them and help them ripen.
Make sure there’s space between your plants, and that leaves aren't packed together. Good airflow not only helps ripening but also cuts down the risk of fungal diseases.
Keep those lower leaves trimmed up away from the soil to stop splashes, reduce the risk of blight, and generally keep things healthier.
At this time of year, we’re not trying to grow massive leafy plants — it’s all about ripening what we have. So, I adjust my routine a little.
If you've been feeding weekly with a high-potash tomato feed, you can now ease back slightly, feeding every fortnight instead of weekly, to encourage ripening rather than new growth.
Avoid the soil swinging between bone dry and waterlogged. Too much water all at once can cause fruits to split, and watering too little can lead to problems like blossom end rot.
If you're growing outdoors, try to shelter your tomatoes if you can. Heavy rain can dilute the flavour, make fruits watery, and even cause splitting.
A nice thick layer of straw, compost, or bark chips will help regulate moisture and temperature around the roots.
No matter what you do, there’ll always be a few green tomatoes hanging about towards the end of the season. Here’s what I do:
If the weather’s still reasonably warm and dry, leave green fruits on the plant to ripen naturally.
If colder, wetter weather is coming, it’s better to pick green fruits rather than risk losing them to rot or blight.
Tomatoes have a moment called the breaker point — when you spot the first blush of colour.
Once they hit this stage, they will ripen off the vine even if picked early. If they’re fully green with no colour at all, they’re less likely to ripen properly off the plant.
Put green tomatoes in a tray or box, somewhere warm and dry, not in direct sunlight. You can add a banana to speed things up which releases ethylene gas, which encourages ripening.
Green tomatoes are brilliant for chutneys, relishes, and even green tomato ketchup. You’ll find a few of my favourite recipes on the next page.
Eli Appleby-Donald, one half of 'In the Garden With Eli and Kate' tends an productive urban garden in East Lothian. She considers herself a perpetual learner gardener, and has spent the last 11 years learning by experience, success, and failure.
Eli is a University digital educator by day, and due to the lack of good information about growing in Scotland when she started gardening, she put those skills to action and now regularly vlogs about gardening on YouTube where she has hundreds of videos about her gardening journey and her top tips, as well as appearing as a guest on other channels worldwide.
You can find out more on the fun of creating your own suburban garden paradise on either her YouTube channel, website, instagram., or her chat on the Scotland Grows Show.