Tomato Plants Flowering - is that right?

[gorgeousgrower]

Hi everyone. Not been on the forum for AGES. Just too busy sowing and growing it seems.

Have a bit of concern for my 6 sun baby tomato plants. At only 8" tall they're already flowering! Having said that, they are very sturdy little things.
Should I be concerned? Do I leave them well alone and will it affect how it grows and ultimately how it fruits? I've given them some food already because the leaves were beginning to yellow, presumably because the poor little things were so knackered from flowering !!!

Any help greatfully received.

[bubblewrap]

Flowering? mine (2 so far) are barely 2" tall.

[PAULW]

What size pots are they in, if in small pots it could be they have become stressed think they are going to die and going to seed

[Flummery]

I would have potted them on rather than fed them, if you aren't able (because of frost times) to put them in their final place.

[teakdesk]

At only 8" tall they're already flowering! Having said that, they are very sturdy little things.

8" tall with their first flowers if absolutely perfect, a very well raised plant that must have had lots of light and no more heat than the light justified.

I've been trying to achieve that perfection for years - I'm so jealous!!!

I would have potted them on rather than fed them...

So would I. They are at a perfect stage for final planting (if the flowers are opening) but only if you can continue to give them such perfect growing conditions. Otherwise I'd have them in 5" pots for a few weeks more.


Out of interest, where were they grown? How much light? Daytime temperature? Night-time temperature? What compost? What variety?

[zazen999]

Yeah Gorgeous....is all this info on the tomato thread? It needs to be if not....

[janeyo]

I have flowers too!!! on one of the best looking december sown lot that are in the greenhouse. Very excited and just wanted to gloat really lol.

Will there be enough insects about for pollination?

[gorgeousgrower]

Tomato plants flowering

I did pot them on and they look a healthier colour. These ones were bought as plugs from a garden centre coz I hadn't got enough cherry ones from seeds sown (why am I try to justify not growing them from seed?)!

They've been in my conservatory from day one. Obviously very warm in the day with all the sun we've had and very cool at night. The heating was on in there during evenings until recently.

Think they were originally potted into organic choice compost, 3" pots. Now in 5" pots, still in conservatory as they'll have to go outside eventually. I'm in the south, so they'll go out at end of the month probably.

[Two_Sheds]

still in conservatory as they'll have to go outside eventually. I'm in the south, so they'll go out at end of the month probably.

Sounds like a good plan. Keep potting them on as they grow.
* can you pop your location into your profile?

[womble]

OK if I had a conservatory, I would would try growing tomatoes like this. Putting them in a large bucket with a wooden pole nailed to the bottom, or canes up in a pyramid from the sides, grow them in the conservatory unless it is nice outside, but at the first sign of rain or wind, straight back inside. Pots of french marigolds round them.
I would also plant them into a mixture of garden compost and rotted manure, forget this MP stuff, I don't like using it in big pots.