Tomato blooming question

I skipped growing tomatoes last year so I've forgotten a few things. This year I have six tomatoes going in containers, 2 Whoppers, 2 el cheapo Wal Mart specials, a cherry, and some fancy organic one I picked up at an upscale nursery. I've planted these a couple of weeks ago and they're starting to get big. The Whopper tomatoes and the Walmart tomatoes are starting to bloom flowers. I can't remember whether or not I should pick the early bloom to encourage more vegetative growth. I don't recall ever seeing blooms this early and these plants certainly have a long way to go before they get full size. I haven't even built cages for them yet (my project for next week). So should I pick them or will I get a bigger crop if I just let them turn into tomatoes?

Reply to
Mark Anderson
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I feel it is usually best to let the plant do its thing. SOme early blossoms on plants never fruit, either they don't get pollinated or (in case of things like squash) not the right combo of male and female flowers out yet.

If the plant was very small I would pull them since it might not even have built the support system for full fruit. With indeterminates the lower branches do fruit first and those are usually the ones that end up hidden among the vegetation and get picked first. I haven't had a need to pull blossoms off of tomatoes. I've done it with pepper plants if they haven't developed a decent stem yet, like with a cheap potted one from someplace. They tend to force out flowers from stress and neglect I guess.

On a two foot tall tomato I will see lots of flowers. If it was only a foot tall, maybe I'd pull them.

DiGiTAL ViNYL (no email) Zone 6b/7, Westchester Co, NY,

Reply to
DigitalVinyl

I've heard it is good to pinch the flowers. But I think what Mark said about only doing it when the plants are small makes sense.

Just out of curiosity, how big are the containers? I am interested in growing some tomatoes in containers...how big do the containers need to be to get a big healthy plant?

Reply to
Sonia Van Tassel

You'll get a higher yield per plant if you grow the plants sprawled (not staked or caged) on clean mulch.

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Reply to
Kay Lancaster

Two years ago, I grew them in 20" cedar planters which were about 16" deep and they grew big. I had some soil problems and lighting problems that caused the tomatoes to ripen funny. I now have them in 20 gallon tubs with drainage holes drilled into the bottom which are about the same size as the cedar planters. I put them in a spot that gets sunrise to sunset sun so I'm hoping for the best. The planters dry out fast so they need to be watered every day.

Reply to
Mark Anderson

A thick layer of mulch helps with that. Grass clippings (assuming you don't use herbicides or pesticides), cedar or hardwood mulch - whatever you've got.

Reply to
Doug Kanter

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