Whether actions are wholesome or unwholesome depend on the motives (roots) behind them which are:

1. greed (or attachment)
2. aversion (or hatred/anger)
3. delusion (or ignorance)

In terms of wholesome ‘roots’, we can add:

1. non-greed implies renunciation, detachment and generosity
2. non-aversion implies loving kindness, sympathy and gentleness
3. non-delusion implies wisdom

Ripening of karma:

1. need not be instant
2. need not be in this life
3. can be across succession of life times
4. can be dormant for eons, like a volcanic action, waiting for the right conditions to trigger

Wholesome actions will bear favourable results and unwholesome actions will bear unfavourable results