How early to harvest?

[ZBQ]

How do you know when it has been on the vine long enough to ripen indoors?

I have 2 Brandywine Suddiths that are about 1.5 to 2 lbs. and they are changing from the real pale green to darker green with some verticle striping.

I am SO afraid the deer are going to get them!! I am anxious to pick them but don't want to ruin them by picking to early.

I am trying a deer repellent that I thought of. I noticed that they have not touched the first leaf of basil. Actually ate the tomato vine that was growing up through it right down to the top of the basil leaves, but didn't touch the basil.

So, when I harvested some of my basil, I had a batch chopped up in the food processor and used about 2 tbs. of it in a tea bag and made basil tea, put it in a spray bottle and have been spraying the crap out of the whole bed, especially soaking the toms. So far so good but I am worried they will get those 2 brandywines. I am hoping they ripen in time for the CHOPTAG event.

[carolyn137]

YOu really should have color about half way up the fruits before harvesting and bringing them inside to ripen, otherwise they won't ripen up if no good color.

karen brought in a truss of Kimberly for me last week and all that had color ripened up and all that were green did not.

So do try to let them color up a bit first, if you can stand the suspense.

I have my own herd of about 15-20 but having lived here for now 7 years they have yet to damage my tomatoes, of which I only grow a few here since up until the summer of 2005 I grew hundreds elsewhere until I fell in Dec, 2004.

I like to think that the deer don't bother me b'c one winter several seasons ago I broke down and started feeding them b'c the snow pack and temps were so brutal. And I like to think that that event, ahem, was transmitted to the fawns, and then the lady fawn kids and on and on, since I've never seen the bucks come down near the house, just the does and fawns.

[ZBQ]

Thanks Carolyn.

That's a nice story about the deer. Wish I could say the same. The wife's G'pa and G'ma live about 100 yards from us and they feed them constantly, year round. They also have apple, pear and peach trees that draw them in. Wish the good Karma would wear off on us!!

Thanks again,
Neil