Accelerated Tomato Ripening experiment

[MacTech]

Yesterday, I was trimming off a few stems on the left Red Heirloom cherry tomato plant, when I accidentally clipped off two ripening tomatoes, D'OH!

one was green, one was a light orange

I wasn't about to throw them out, so I grabbed a couple bananas and a paper bag, I took one banana and the two clipped tomatoes and put them in the bag, as the ethylene gas emitted by ripening bananas will also ripen tomatoes

I also put one banana underneath the right hand cherry tomato plant in my AG6E+, as it's the slower of the two, there's no banana under the left cherry tomato plant, it will be the Control-ish group

Experiment started 3/2/09, approx 8:30 PM

as of today, here's the current status of the experiment
Clipped tomatoes;

Control group;

(the reddish tomato in the first pic was approx. the color of the orange tomatoes in this pic)
Right hand tomato plant;

[msopinionated]

That's a pretty neat experiment!  Especially since it seems to be working.
 
Cynthia

[kim marie turner]

your toms look great

[MacTech]

3/5/09 update
In the paper bag with the banana;

On the 6E+, rightmost plant;

Control group, leftmost plant in the 6E+;


Notice that on the rightmost tomato plant, all the ripening tomatoes appear to be at the same stage of redness, wheras the left hand control group has tomatoes in varying stages of redness, it looks like the additional ethylene gas from the banana is forcing the right plant's ripening tomatoes to ripen at the same stage, also notice that green tomatoes appear to be unaffected by the banana's ethylene gas, in order for forced ripening to work, the tomato has to have progressed past the green stage, and have just a little bit of yellow or orange on it

I will now switch the banana over to the left plant to force those ripening tomatoes

[MacTech]

3/7/09 update;
Banana has been moved over to the left plant, and the difference is noticeable;


I tried one of the force-ripened tomatoes on the right plant yesterday and it was indescribably delicious, it did not taste forced in any way

[shane arthur]

this is very interesting stuff thanks

[Bobbie]

Fascinating! I'm not growing tomatoes now, but I hope I remember this later in the summer when I do.