Gardening: ‘Not much chance’ of tomatoes ripening now – how to ripen them in October

Tomatoes are popular garden crops that can be grown outside or in greenhouses. They are relatively easy to look after but need constant attention from spring to autumn. As the weather turns in the UK and the temperatures drop, many people may be wondering what to do with their unripe tomatoes and leftover plants.

To ripen them indoors, pick them and pop them in a paper bag with a ripe banana.

She added: “What the banana will do is release the gas called ethylene.

“This helps tomatoes and lots of different types of fruit ripen.”

Your tomatoes should start to ripen quite quickly when they’re left in the paper bag.

However, if some of them don’t turn red, you can make green tomato chutney.

Once your tomatoes are finished, you may be wondering what to do with the leftover plants.

The gardening expert recommended pulling up the plants from the base to get the roots out.

“If you can pop them in the compost heap they should drop down really well,” she added.