Daily gardening tip · Northern hemisphere · Wednesday 26 August 2026 · late summer
When to Pick Late-Summer Tomatoes
Late summer brings plenty of ripe tomatoes, but leaving them on the plant too long can cause their skins to split and ruin your harvest.
10 minuteseasyharvesting
Walk through your garden and locate tomatoes that have just turned their full, mature color.
Gently hold the tomato near the top where it connects to the vine.
Twist the fruit upwards until the stem snaps naturally, or use clean shears to snip the stem.
Bring the harvested tomatoes indoors immediately to keep them out of the direct sun.
Why it works
Once a tomato reaches its full color, it is fully ripe and stops gaining flavor from the vine. Leaving it on the plant increases the risk that a sudden drink of water from rain or irrigation will swell the fruit too quickly, splitting the skin.
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