Extend the Tomato Season: 7 Protection Methods for Late Harvests
Green tomatoes hang on indeterminate vines well into fall and winter. Get them to ripen before the first frost with these seven protection methods. It’s never too late for a late harvest, and these tricks extend the season well past its normal range.
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A little warmth goes a long way. You’ll notice this as it disappears in the fall, when days begin to cool and shorten. Tomatoes that were steadily ripening may stay green for days. They’ll struggle to turn their final color, whether it’s green, yellow, red, or purple.
Fear not, as there are simple tomato protection methods you can employ. Adding cover, insulating the soil, and warming the area helps to create a summer microclimate amidst the cool of fall. Though it’ll be frigid elsewhere, your tomatoes will have the warmth they need to thrive.
When all else fails, it’s a good idea to pick the unripe tomatoes and let them ripen indoors. We’ll cover expert strategies for both extending the tomato season and for ripening unripe fruits. Let’s dig in!
Add Hoops and Greenhouse Plastic
For easy tomato protection in fall, start with hoops and greenhouse plastic. These materials create an insulating barrier, allowing heat to stay under the plastic layer near the tomato vines. Some growers call it a hoop house. The plastic allows light to pass through while keeping the cold out.
For hoops, look for metal hoops that form a U-shape. Bend them to the size of your bed, and stick them a few feet away from each other. Then, drape the greenhouse plastic over the hoops in the evening. Clamp it down with clamps, or use rocks and stones to weigh down the edges.
Open the plastic in the morning to let fresh air flow through the beds. Then, in the evening, secure it again to protect from cold night temperatures. This nightly covering helps extend the tomato season weeks past its normal time.
Drape Row Cover
Like greenhouse plastic, a row cover is a protective coating that insulates tomato crops from cold temperatures and ice storms. Row cover also goes by the name frost cloth, as it protects plants from frost.
You’ll find all sorts of tomato protection options at garden centers and landscaping stores. Most consist of white cloth that lets light through. They’re lightweight and thin, making them easy to use and store after the cold season.
Use frost cloth in much the same way as greenhouse plastic. Drape it over the tomatoes on frosty nights, and remove it when the temperature rises. Secure its edges with rocks, bricks, stones, or any heavy objects you have on hand.
Before rushing to the store for the cloth, see if you have old bedsheets first. Old bedsheets work like row covers, as they’re both fabric. Simply drape the sheets at night and remove them during the day to let the light hit your tomato plants.
Water Before a Frost
For tomato root protection, prevent ice from forming with water. Water from sprinklers melts ice and warms the soil before a frost. It’s a great way to keep your tomato plants alive despite chilly weather late in the growing season.
Set your sprinklers to turn on before the temperature drops below freezing, and leave them on until it warms above 32°F (0°C). Watering before and during a freeze warms the area and makes it difficult for ice to form.
As some frosts last all night, this option may not be desirable. You’ll have your water running all night. Use it as a last resort to protect tomato crops before a harsh frost arrives.
Move Potted Plants
Potted tomatoes are easy to care for in the fall and early winter. Simply move them where it’s warm! Place potted tomatoes under a patio or balcony to shield them from the rain. Situate them against the walls of your home so they receive reflected sunlight during the day.
If you have the space, you may move your container specimens indoors on cold nights for extra tomato protection. Set them in a room, then move them back outdoors in the morning when the temperature rises above freezing.
Indeterminate tomatoes will survive the winter indoors, and you’ll have big plants for transplanting in the spring next year. Set them near a sunny windowsill that receives six or more hours of daily direct sunlight. Keep the soil moist, but not soggy, and watch for pests.
Set Up Twinkle Lights
This is the most unique of all tomato protection methods. It’s also a great way to beautify your garden in the late season. Adorn your tomato vines with twinkle lights to warm them up at night.
My neighbors love using twinkle lights to keep their citrus trees warm through the winter. It’s not as reliable as using row cover or a greenhouse, but it does help warm the vines on cold nights. The key is using the right type of lighting.
LED twinkle lights do not emit as much heat as incandescent and fluorescent ones. Opt for the latter two when searching for light strings. Their bulbs emit some heat, and that heat keeps the tomato crops warm during cold nights.
Choose water and weatherproof lights that are rated for outdoor use. Using indoor lights outside can lead to short-circuiting and dangerous situations. Use indoor lights indoors, and outdoor ones in the yard.
Mulch Well
Extend the tomato season with organic mulch. This simple method uses soil amendments to blanket and insulate the ground where tomato roots are growing. The mulch layer keeps the roots warm, allowing the plants to perform well into the autumn season.
Compost is the best organic mulch to use for tomato protection. It both feeds and insulates the earth. It adds nutrients, beneficial microbes, and worms into the soil.
If you don’t have compost, try using leaf mold, straw, or fallen leaves. Pile the amendments into a layer two to three inches thick, and water them to help the layer settle.
Pick Green Tomatoes
When all else fails, you’ll want to harvest the unripe tomatoes indoors before the first frost. Freezing temperatures shock tomato fruits, turning them into brown, mushy messes when they thaw. It’s best to bring them inside to ripen.
Once tomatoes have some hints of their final color, they’ll reliably ripen indoors. Set them on your kitchen counter next to an apple, and the ethylene gas will help them mature.
Or, store them in a warm, dark place with good ventilation. Many growers like to wrap the fruits in paper and set them in a box in their pantry. This works well for green tomatoes that need more time to ripen than partially ripe ones.
Key Takeaways
- Tomato vines are frost-tender. Protect them if they still have green tomatoes on them in the late season.
- Use row cover, greenhouse plastic, or string lights to keep the plants warm.
- Watering with sprinklers prevents ice from forming on cold nights.
- Some green tomato fruits will not ripen in time, even with tomato protection. Bring them indoors to mature.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I protect my tomatoes from being eaten?
Row cover and greenhouse plastic are the best tools for protection. First, remove any worms, beetles, aphids, or slugs from the plants. Then, cover the plants to protect them from pests.
What can I use to protect my tomato plants?
Use frost cloth, clear plastic, or bedsheets to extend the harvesting season. Set sprinklers to run when temperatures drop below freezing. Finally, add mulch to the soil and twinkling lights to the stems.
At what temperature should you cover your plants at night?
Cover tomatoes when temperatures drop below 55°F (13°C) at night. Remove the cover when the sun rises and temperatures warm.
