September has been such a wild month weather-wise and we're only halfway through. It's yo-yo'ed between 60°F to 80°F, rainy to sunny, and mild to near freezing at night this week.

My fall crops are loving it but my tomatoes and cucumbers aren't too happy, and they're showing it by taking their sweeeet time ripening.

Did you know: tomato growth slows significantly (or even stops) every time the weather drops below 50°F? Same thing when there's a heat wave. Tomatoes are quite the divas, if you haven't guessed.

And if your weather has been less than ideal like mine, it probably feels like you could use an extra week or two to get those juicy babies just a little more red before harvesting (even with early-maturing varieties).

Will they ripen in time? Or will you be making a bunch of pickled green tomatoes or green tomato salsa verde again?

Here's a secret: There IS a way to get your tomatoes to ripen faster while they're on the vine. THREE ways in fact.

(Plus a foolproof method for ripening tomatoes inside if you're caught by a surprise freeze or hailstorm.)

Speaking of which, I'm not a vine snob by any means. Flavor-wise there's no difference between a vine-ripened tomato and a tomato ripened off the vine indoors. (That's what science says, but our personal biases may convince us otherwise.)

Flavor is influenced by that particular variety plus your growing conditions—soil, water, and temperature all play a role in how your tomatoes taste, which is why the same variety in your garden might not taste the same the following year.

But letting (or in my case, inducing) a tomato to ripen on the vine is much easier and doesn't take up your entire countertop for weeks.

(By the way, if you live in a temperate climate where you can keep harvesting tomatoes through fall and winter, I've also got a post for you: how to tell when it's time to pick those tomatoes for the best quality. Hint: It's not always when the fruits are red!)

Seasonal tips

What To Do If Your Tomatoes Keep Splitting or Cracking Read more

Picking Avocados: Best Way to Tell If an Avocado Is Ripe Read more

You Can Eat the Seed Pods on Your Radish Plants—Here's How Read more

Why Purple Beans Turn Green After Cooking (A Kitchen Magic Trick!) Read more

6 Hardy Ground Covers That Stay Green All Winter Read more

How to Grow Milkweed (and Avoid These Common Mistakes) Read more

P.S. Tell your tomato plants to hurry up! These easy homegrown tricks will naturally speed up the ripening process on the vine.