Using Polythene to ripen tomatoes

Dear Lynn

I bought some cloche polythene from you earlier on this year with a view to getting my outdoor tomatoes to ripen more quickly. My wife thinks the polythene is rather opaque -do you think the tomatoes will ripen more quickly with or without the polythene cover?
 
John 

Dear John

I take it you have some nice big green tomatoes under your polythene cloche?   Tomatoes certainly need lots of light preferably sunlight to ripen off nicely so I would suggest you remove the polythene if you are in a hurry.  They will ripen eventually under the polythene because commercially they are grown that way in poly tunnels.

They will also require more water as it will probably be hot under polythene.

Here at Stephanie’s Kitchen Garden they are slow to ripen this year so enjoy your tomatoes when you eventually get them!

Kind Regards

Lynn Burtonn - Horticultural Adviser