Pinching blossoms on young plant
 

What are most opinions here on blossoms for young determinate and indeterminate plants. Currently have both det. and indet. plants w/ blossoms shortly after transplant. The dwarf varieties (new big, tas. choc., and rosella pur.) are around 1 foot and others around 2 feet. Should I pinch them to allow the plant to devote more energy into plant vigor and size or allow them to opportunity to come to fruition, which may stunt/slow overall plant growth?

I dont at those heights but some people do.
With determinants you pretty much juiced yourself by pinching them.
I'm running an experiment right now with Orange Russian that has started to bloom at 9 inches.

I also feel that if the plant is growing under optimum conditions it will do better that one that is slow growing if it blooms at this stage.

Many of my best tomatoes are collected at the 1 foot height and above.
It really depends on the health of the plant what variety it is and your growing conditions.
If one blooms at 4 to 6 inches I might be inclined to pinch the bloom.


Worth

I generally don't pinch blossoms, those are my earliest tomatoes! I will sometimes pinch fused blossoms as I often don't like the big, misshapen tomatoes with hard parts embedded inside, they look neat, but for eating they're not my favorite.

Thank you for the replies. I do understand that this personal preference of course and opinions vary, but it seems that most enjoy the earlier fruits as both mentioned. I will let them go as the lousy weather here may make them fall on their own.

I pinch them if under light but when I plant out I welcome any bud with open arms.:cute:

I figure if the plant cannot support it should abort it. Plants can grow and fruit , both at the same time.

Gardeneer

Pinching blossoms off of plants already planted in the garden or fields was the creation (wrongly so) of internet garden gurus.

[url]http://farmerfredrant.blogspot.com/2009/06/prune-tomato-flowers-no.html[/url]

[QUOTE=seaeagle;525568]Pinching blossoms off of plants already planted in the garden or fields was the creation (wrongly so) of internet garden gurus.

[URL]http://farmerfredrant.blogspot.com/2009/06/prune-tomato-flowers-no.html[/URL][/QUOTE]

Which is why I asked here. Plenty of misinformation on the web w/ all regards

Good article. And putting the toms in large cages, well spaced with minimal pruning, is my exact plan.

I find that the quality of the earliest tomatoes on the plant is very inconsistent, so I often pinch, preferring energy of the plant to go into growing foliage or growing tomatoes that pollinize further up the plant while the lower ones would have still been growing (if not pinched).

I've done the comparison of growing a single variety with and without pinching blossoms, and I don't pinch blossoms and here's why.

There are two cycles for tomatoes, the vegetative cycle where new roots and stems and foliage are synthesized, and the sexual cycle where blossoms appear, are pollinated, and fruit production follows.

I feel it's far more important to allow the plants to stay in the vegetative phase to get strong vigorous plants,than to get any early tomatoes. THe stronger the plants the better will be subsequent production due to more foliage performing photosynthesis which leads to the energy compounds that fuel both production and friuit taste.

And that's why I never pinched off blossoms from either det or indet seedlings.

Carolyn

Thank you everyone for all the replies. Going to let them grow to see what comes of them.

Carolyn can you clarify? It sounds like you are advocating pinching off blossoms during the vegetative cycle.

[QUOTE=Anthony_Toronto;526025]Carolyn can you clarify? It sounds like you are advocating pinching off blossoms during the vegetative cycle.[/QUOTE]

I am, but know that I preferred to set out 6-9 inch seedlings since they adapt better and would pinch off any early blossoms until the plants were in the 12 to maybe 14 inch height and then let them go on their own.

As I said above I decided to do that after setting out maybe four plants of the same variety and pinching off blossoms on just two of them so as to directly compare/

Long ago in a galaxy far away to pinch or not to pinch was a big topic.

Carolyn

To complicate matters more would that be a full blown blooming blossom or just the beginnings of a blossom bud.
It takes a while for the wee little bud to become a blossom.:roll:
Worth

Thanks Carolyn! And Worth when I do pinch (which is maybe 50% of early ones only), I'm careful to let the flowering branch and growing tip get large enough that I can easily take the buds off without accidentally pinching off the growing tip.