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Pinching early flowers

Posted: Mon Mar 16, 2020 12:08 pm
by fluffy_gumbo
Hope this is the right place to post this question~

I transplanted my tomatoes into their permanent garden spots about 2 weeks ago and some are starting to form flower buds. I have both cherries and slicers, all indeterminate. I started to pinch the flowers off because while the plants are robust and healthy, they are only about 16" tall and I didn't think that they would be able to support fruit at this stage.
Also, it gets hot and humid here pretty early (~May) so I do worry that they might not have time to set fruit and ripen before dwindling in the heat.

What are people's thoughts on pinching flowers? Do it or not? If yes, when should you stop doing it?

Re: Pinching early flowers

Posted: Mon Mar 16, 2020 12:14 pm
by worth1
Seen it for myself on smaller plants they get stunted.
Not all the time but sometimes.
Not for sure about cherries but the others yes.

Re: Pinching early flowers

Posted: Mon Mar 16, 2020 1:58 pm
by worth1
Oh yes I stop around 16 to 17 inches.
That's a bloom not a set tomato that is developing.
I will pinch those off because they set at around ten inches.
This was experienced one out of several plants all the same variety same soil.
The no tomato plants took off the one with a tomato didn't.
Pinched the tomato off and it took off growing too.

Re: Pinching early flowers

Posted: Tue Mar 17, 2020 3:01 pm
by edweather
Probably won't hurt, and to each his own, but I just don't do it. Never had a problem just leaving them on. Am also obsessed with getting a tomato asap. :lol:

Re: Pinching early flowers

Posted: Tue Mar 17, 2020 3:38 pm
by ddsack
It probably doesn't matter, and may benefit people with long growing seasons. I don't, because I've read that it is two weeks between blossom sets, and with my short summer, I can't afford to put off fruit formation by two additional weeks. I'd rather have fewer, but earlier tomatoes, and just plant more plants to make up for needed volume.