Gardening out here is a huge challenge. The hail is really bad and at times really large. I put up hail protection plastic and bird netting. I thought it worked, damage was not that bad, I thought. However the smaller hail that got thru accumulated on the soil around the plants up to 3 inches in some places. It took hours to melt and dropped the temperature of the soil a lot  As I have found out, this severely altered the growth of the plants. Most never developed higher than a foot and the tomatoes were very small and don't ripen even though they are red. I have had some red ones on a window sill for 2 weeks, they are red but HARD. Even Cherry tomatoes were not soft or flavorful.

I remember you said about the terrible storm. We've been "lucky" here. No severe storms. In fact very little rain here in our part of the state. Probably won't be a very colorful fall because of the drought.

 

I've had success in getting tomatoes to ripen by putting them in a brown paper grocery bag, along with an apple, Roll the bag top shut and wait about a week before checking on them. Not as good as ripening on the vine but beats allowing the frost to get them in the fall.

2nd the vote for the bag and apple...

most everyone around here that gardens have green houses of some sort...

Edited August 31, 20169 yr by Stick486

It's easy here in Ohio.  Put plants in a couple plants in 5 gallon buckets on the patio.  Hard part was keeping them watered, dry this year.  Been eating them for a month now but they will probably be done in a couple weeks.  Plants dying off now.  Hope next year is better for you.

 

 

Colorado?  I wonder what that storm did to the "alternative" crops out there?

I use the 5 gal. bucket method.  Last year was bountiful.  This year was too hot I reckon.  Got some early 'maters and then they stopped producing.

Cal