Q: I am container growing beautiful & plentiful 'Better Bush' hybrid tomatoes. These tomatoes are gorgeous, bug free thus far, ripening to a beautiful red approx. 2" to 3" tomato that will NOT ripen on the inside. Slicing this luscious looking tomato reveals a green unripe not tasty interior. I live in eastern North Carolina and given our hot water these plants are being watered daily & the pots sit in shallow dishes to reserve the over-flow water to feed the roots from the bottom. Help? Thanks so much! Kay
A: My guess is the problem has to do with the hot weather and all the watering you are forced to do. The tomato fruits absorb this constant moisture like sponges. You get big fruits with a watery taste. So cut down on the water a little bit, giving the plants just enough moisture to keep them from wilting. You might also try picking the tomatoes just as they begin to turn color and ripening them indoors. Place them inside a brown paper bag. The ethylene gas given off by ripening fruit will be trapped in the bag, turning the tomatoes red. Since they won't be getting any more water at this point, the flavor should improve. Grumpy
