Tomatoes will finally ripen if easy 10 minute job is done as soon as possible

It can be frustrating to spend summer tending totomato plants only for the fruit to remain green as autumn draws near, but there's a straightforward method to prolong their growing period.

Tomatoes must be picked in September as leaving them too long on the vine once temperatures drop will result in damaged and unusable fruit. Even when tomatoes are still green they'll require harvesting as they won't develop further once frost sets in and any fruit left to rot on the plantcan draw pests and fungal infections to your garden.

However, if your tomatoes remain unripe then don't fret asMonty Donhas revealed there's a straightforward technique to accelerate the ripening process to guarantee you obtain fully red tomatoes before September concludes.

READ MORE: Slugs 'hate' one plant and will 'stay out of gardens for good'

READ MORE: Water peace lilies with one cup of common food makes them 'explode with flowers'

On his website, Monty explained: "Tomatoes are coming up to their prime harvesting period but to extend this and make sure that all the current green tomatoes fully ripen over the coming month or so there are a few things the tomato grower should do now."

How to ensure green tomatoes ripen

If you wish to guarantee you achieve a plentiful harvest of succulent red tomatoes then be sure to cut back any surplus foliage on the plant to permit more sunlight to reach the fruit.

Monty explained: "The first is to strip off the bottom half of the leaves on each plant. This will let in light and air so that the growing fruits get more sun. Also, the extra ventilation will reduce the risk of disease. This process can be continued weekly until there are no leaves left at all."

Tomatoes require as much sunlight as possible in September as the plant transforms the sun's energy into sugars, which is a crucial step in the ripening process and also makes the fruit much more flavoursome. Once you have boosted the sun exposure then nip off any new flowers or tiny tomatoes so the plant can concentrate on ripening existing fruit.

Next, stop watering tomatoes as much as you did in summer once the weather cools down as it will signal to the plant that the fruit needs to ripen as quickly as possible.

Monty said: "Reduce the watering unless it is very hot to avoid the fruit splitting but keep up a weekly feed of liquid seaweed or, if you can make it, home-made comfrey feed. Both are ideal for maximising flower and fruit production."

Feeding tomatoes the correct fertiliser will give them the nutritional boost they need to flourish, and Monty has revealed in the past how to make a simple homemade fertiliser out of comfrey weeds that will greatly benefit the plant. Comfrey contains potassium which is an essential nutrient required for fruit production and will help tomatoes not only ripen but grow larger and sweeter.

READ MORE: Water peace lilies with one cup of common food makes them 'explode with flowers'

What to do if tomato crops are still green in late September

If September begins getting very chilly and you still have green tomatoes then do not panic as you can help ripen them once they have been picked off the vine as well.

Monty said: "By September the heat is running out and inevitably we are all left with green tomatoes that are never going to ripen. However if you pick them - either individually or on the bine, then put them in a drawer with a banana they will ripen and turn red."

Bananas release ethylene gas, a plant hormone that encourages fruit to ripen, and storing tomatoes alongside bananas in a confined area will guarantee they mature.

You'll be able to savour perfectly ripe red tomatoes cultivated in your own patch by following these straightforward tips this September, ensuring you achieve larger and more flavoursome yields.