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Garden Tomatoes Not Ripening In The Summer? This May Be Why
By WILL FORD
Garden tomatoes often face challenges in ripening during the summer, especially under high heat conditions, due to a complex hormonal process that regulates their maturation.
A key hormone in this process is ethylene, a gas that signals and coordinates ripening. In optimal conditions, tomatoes transition from green to vibrant red as they mature.
However, excessive heat can disrupt ethylene production or alter its sensitivity, making tomatoes remain green and preventing desired sweetness and ripeness.
Heat stress, which affects ethylene and other hormonal pathways crucial for tomato development, like abscisic acid, compounds this issue.
This acid, responsible for regulating plant stress responses, can increase under high temperatures, resulting in delayed ripening and lower fruit quality.
Tomatoes not ripening as expected are less likely due to poor gardening. It's more probable due to prolonged high temperatures that affect their natural ripening process.