Tomatoes flowering

[ashkat]

Some of my toms are 12-18 in tall. A couple if them have started to flower. Should these early bunches of flowers (is that what a 'truss' is?) be pinched off to promote top growth, or left? These plants are getting ready for their final potting up (what size pot is best?)

Thanks in advance!

[redser]

Good god no!! The trusses are the bits you need. Pinch out the side shoots that grow between the main stem and the leafy branches. Think twice and thrice if you are not sure. You dont want to pinch out a truss

[ashkat]

I asked because you pinch out the early flowers on a strawberry to promote foliage and healthier fruit later. Not cause I'm a *total* numpty lol. I didn't know if the tom would concentrate on the flowers/fruit and neglect top growth

Thank you for the answer. I will leave the flowers alone

[ashkat]

Also, I assume the plants will get much larger before actually fruiting? Or does the plant get larger while the fruit is developing? This is my first proper year of growing my own, although I have kept several veg plants before this, just not on this scale.

[dominic10]

Your tomatoes are doing exactly what they are supposed to do. After the flowers have set In a little while you will notice little immature tomatoes forming - this is when you start to feed your toms. My containers are 12 inch pots. What variety are you growing? If it's indeterminate you pinch out the armpits. As I grow mine in containers I tend to pinch out the growing tip when four separate trusses have formed but there are many different views on this I am sure.

[ashkat]

Most of mine are indeterminate and I have been pinching out the armpits religiously (sounds painful, eh?!). I have one bush variety, wapsipicon peach and I'm under the impression that you just leave well enough alone with them lol. I've been given varying advice on the amount of trusses, anywhere from 4-8....so I think I'll compromise and go with 6.

Can I expect all the flowers to go to fruit? There seems to be about 6 or so flower buds on the trusses, maybe a bit more. Is that normal?

I've got several that I bought from my local shop, so they are common types a moneymaker, alicante, sungold. These are the ones that are thriving. My own that I started from seed suffered an unfortunate.....erm....accident. I left the greenhouse door open on a bad night. Many committed suicide. The remaining ones, although 8-9 weeks old are still only 3-4 inches tall

Thankfully, I've been babying them and they seem to be making a slow recovery. Hopefully they hurry and catch up as I have some nice varieties that the chef himself (the husband) wants to use. We're working up to canning and jarring. Can't wait to start the fruit trees next year. (when's the best time to purchase and plant fruit trees btw?)

[redser]

They will ripen from the bottom up so yes the plant will continue to grow up and produce more trusses while the older/lower ones develop their fruit. All or certainly most of the flowers will go to fruit. You can aid the polination (probably not necessary) by shaking the stem gently or spraying a very fine spray of tepid water into the flowers in the morning. Just dont go mad with the spraying and get the leaves wet, just a short quick mist up into the flowers.

[Jimmy]

Many committed suicide.

Hope the Sungold survived, if I could grow just one tomato it would be this one.
Like a tree of orange sweeties.
Jimmy

[ashkat]

Sungold was one I purchased as a plant after tomato-gate. She is thriving

[Potstubsdustbins]

Your Sungold will run to about 20 toms per truss the others less. As an aid to pollination tape the support cane as you pass. My Sungold at this time have 2/3 trusses with flowers the lower ones have small toms.

They are in a green house and will run to 6 trusses per plant.

Colin