
It’s no secret that I have a real passion for tomatoes, and I love sharing it with others. Which isn’t difficult, considering I’m not the only one who appreciates the “queen of the vegetable garden”. I used to say that summer would be too sad without at least one tomato plant. But come to think of it, I think three plants is a minimum. One plant of cherry tomatoes that you eat like candy, one plant of table tomatoes for those indispensable sandwiches and one plant of Italian tomatoes for sauces.

In my case, I usually grow between 30 and 40 plants in my small urban garden. But during the summer when I wrote my book, La tomate de la terre à la table, I planted 120 tomato plants of different varieties. It was a year of extraordinary harvest. I not only gorged myself but also stocked up on all sorts of things, as I had set myself the goal of not wasting even a single cherry tomato. Of course, I wouldn’t recommend growing that many tomato plants unless you have a very large plot of land. As the saying goes, “don’t do it at home, I’m a professional”.
To avoid pest and disease problems, it’s a good idea to encourage diversity. If mildew had struck that year, as it did in 2023, I would have curled up in a ball in the corner. As it is, I’m still scarred by this hecatomb, which I hope never to experience again.
The Best Tomato?
I’m often asked which is the best tomato. It’s hard to answer, given that there are over 15,000 varieties of tomato, that I haven’t tried them all and that tastes vary from one person to another. Even though I have a soft spot for big old tomatoes, like Mémé de Beauce for example, I tend to think that nothing beats the flavor of the first garden-ripened tomato, whatever the variety.

Managing Abundance… or Not
Depending on the climate zone you live in, the varieties you grow, the weather conditions and, of course, the care you give your plants, the harvest can be extraordinary or… disappointing. In the latter case, it’s time to do some soul-searching and take notes, so that next year’s harvest lives up to your expectations. Here are some possible causes of poor productivity, as well as possible solutions:
- Insufficient sunlight. A minimum of 8 hours is ideal;
- Soil or potting mix too poor. Tomatoes require rich soil;
- Poor pollination. Grow flowers nearby that are attractive to pollinators. Bumblebees are champions at pollinating tomatoes;
- A container that’s too small. Choose containers with a diameter and depth of at least 30 cm (12 inches);
- Irregular water availability. The use of mulch at the base of tomato plants is a must to keep the soil moist whether in the open ground or in containers;
- Temperatures that are too cool. If you grow in a cold region, consider greenhouse or tunnel cultivation;
- Temperatures too high. If you’re growing in a greenhouse, make sure it’s well ventilated. Otherwise, be patient: we have no control over heatwaves;
- Varieties that are not suitable for a short season. Opt for early varieties or grow in greenhouses.

The Right Time to Harvest
Tomatoes are at their best when ripe on the plant. This means they’re tender, with maximum sugar and vitamin content.
Depending on the variety, harvesting begins 60 to 90 days after transplanting. Harvesting of determinate varieties is relatively concentrated in time, while that of indeterminate varieties is spread over several weeks.
Ideally, tomatoes should be harvested as they ripen, to encourage the next ones to ripen.

The Right Way to Harvest
Small tomatoes detach easily from the plant without effort. For others, you can try to break the stalk by twisting the fruit. However, it is sometimes preferable to use secateurs to make a clean cut, while avoiding dropping neighboring unripe fruit.
Stimulating Tomato Ripening in the Garden
In late summer, when night-time temperatures are around 10°C, here’s what you can do to stimulate the ripening of fruit that is still green:
- Prune the heads of indeterminate varieties if this hasn’t already been done (I usually do it when the plants reach 1.5 m and have at least three flower clusters).
- Remove any flowers that have not been pollinated.
- Prune diseased leaves only. Avoid excessive leaf removal.
- Space out watering when most of the fruit has reached its final size.
When the Cold Weather Sets In!
Tomatoes don’t like the cold. As autumn approaches, when plants are exposed to night-time temperatures below 5°C, growth ceases and fruit flavor is affected. If the low temperatures seem temporary, plants can be protected overnight with a floating blanket or similar, in an attempt to prolong the season.
But when low temperatures seem to be setting in, it’s best to harvest any fruit that has reached the expected size, even if it’s still green.
Fortunately, you can ripen them indoors.
Ripen Tomatoes Indoors
If you prefer to put your green tomatoes on the windowsill, this may work for a few tomatoes that have started to ripen. However, there’s a more effective way to ripen tomatoes, especially when they’re still green.
In fact, once they’ve been harvested, it’s not the sun that ripens tomatoes, but heat and ethylene, as they are a climacteric fruit like apples and bananas. This means that ripening continues after harvest thanks to ethylene, a gas produced naturally by ripe fruit.
To facilitate ripening, it’s a good idea to group your tomatoes together in an enclosed, but not totally airtight, space (avoid plastic), while ensuring that the set includes at least one ripe tomato (or apple or banana). Depending on the quantity of tomatoes, you may opt for..:
- A brown paper bag;
- A closed cardboard box;
- Seedling trays lined with newspaper (or brown paper bags), then covered with a blanket.

In All Cases:
- Avoid fruit touching as much as possible;
- Inspect your tomatoes regularly, removing any that are ripe (except one) and discarding any that have deteriorated;
- Place in a warm place (maximum 30°C, 86?).
If, on the other hand, you prefer your tomatoes to ripen slowly so that you can eat them fresh for as long as possible, store the latest harvests in a cool place, between 13 and 16°C, but never lower than 10°C. With a bit of luck, you’ll be able to eat your tomatoes at Christmas.
In closing, I hope you enjoy your “golden apples”, as the Italians called tomatoes in the 16th century. From the essential tomato sandwich to the many ways of preserving tomatoes (canning, dehydration, etc.), there are a thousand ways to enjoy them, both short- and long-term.
In fact, to take advantage of the abundance of mini-tomatoes, here’s a recipe from my book La tomate, de la terre à la table (Éditions MultiMondes, 2018).
Easy Roasted Mini-Tomato Sauce (4 Servings)
Ingredients :
- 8 cups baby tomatoes
- 1 onion
- 2 garlic cloves
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 8 to 12 fresh basil leaves
- Salt and pepper
- Grated Parmesan
Steps :
Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Peel onion and cut into quarters. Peel garlic cloves. Place tomatoes, onion, garlic and oil in a large cast-iron skillet. Cook at the bottom of the oven for one hour. Cool for 10 minutes. Blend in a blender or stick blender. Return sauce to skillet, adding salt and pepper. Warm sauce over heat for 5 minutes. Chop basil and stir into sauce. Serve over pasta. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

I planted seedling tomatoes on May 8th.it’s now August 28 th and they are still small and green. At least 100 on one plant. They get plenty of sun. We have had very hot weather for months. I got the seedlings from a friend of a friend, I have no idea what kind any of them are. I have some strange purple ones, with only 6 tomatoes on one plant. Some going purple but have green on them. I am very puzzled by them all. Any advice would be be very helpful. Thank you.
Some varieties naturally take longer to mature, and the extreme heat may be stressing the plants, delaying ripening. Additionally, excess nitrogen from fertilization could be promoting lush foliage at the expense of fruit development. To help your tomatoes ripen, try providing some shade during the hottest part of the day, and be patient!
My brother grows greenhouse tomatoes for a living. He told me years ago that if the temperature drops under 40 degrees F, the tomatoes may still ripen, but they will be mushy.