AboutElyse Grau Expertise I can answer most questions on vegetable and fruit growing, in particular those that pertain to the Northwest, Midwest and other cool areas of the country. I prefer to use only organic/natural methods and materials.
Experience I have Master Gardener training and have been gardening for over 25 years. I use organic and natural methods only. I live on 5 acres and have a large vegetable garden, as well as orchard, grapevines and berries.
Question I am a first-time tomato grower in the upper Midwest. I had a great crop this summer, and still have many productive plants. But as fall approaches, I am wondering what I need to do with the plants? I've put many of my flowers to bed, but am uncertain as to what I should be doing for the tomato plants. They are mainly roma tomatoes, with a few heirloom and cherry tomatoes mixed into the garden.
Thanks for your suggestions.
Answer Amby:
Tomatoes are annuals, they will be killed with the first frost. So there is no "putting the plants to bed" so to speak - you will want to pull them out once the frost gets to them, if not before. But before that happens, there are a few things you can do. If you have warning of frost, you can cover the plants with blankets before sundown. Remove them early in the morning. Cold temperatures, below 40, slow down the ripening and can damage the fruits internally, though not to the point of not being edible. So you can also just pick any tomatoes that have started to ripen and allow them to finish ripening indoors.
with cherry or roma tomatoes, you can pull up the entire plant and hang them upside-down in a garage or basement, and harvest the tomatoes as they ripen. The flavor is a little better this way.
