Tomato starting to form flowers

Jack's_mummy

One of my tomato plants are trying to flower. They are still indoors and are only 15 inches high. Nice and healthy looking in a very cool room.

So do I need to panic? Plant it out and cover it up? Leave it be and the flowers will just drop off if they aren't pollinated?

214jay

Hello

what variety of tomatoes do you have? I have the same problem with mine as they are ready to go outdoors but its too cold. I have plented mine into bigger pots and left them on the windowsill.

You can usually quite happily !!!!! the flower out and it will encourage it to grow more, they are usually very hardy and will survive with no problem.

Jack's_mummy

It's either a red cherry or a gardeners delight. Slight issue with DS playing with the labels.

Thanks.

foxgloves

If it was my tomato plants, I'd start hardening them off by putting them outside in the day unless really cold. Then the flowers might get pollinated. We're on the north east side of the Midlands & all my outdoor tomatoes will be out for good by 3rd week of this month.

Jack's_mummy

Thanks. I'm in West Yorkshire so plenty of cold left up here. Normally they would go out mid May but I can't see that happening this year.

I'll pot them on again and see if that slows them

absfabs

Could you try to hand-pollinate, say stroke a cottonwool bud accross the various flowers? Have done this in the greenhouse in the past, never had a problem with toms setting.

Jack's_mummy

absfabs wrote: »

Could you try to hand-pollinate, say stroke a cottonwool bud accross the various flowers? Have done this in the greenhouse in the past, never had a problem with toms setting.

I could but I'm not sure I want them to flower and set fruit just yet!

214jay

I would defiantely cut the flowers off with them being so small, it will encourage them to grow and you'll get a bigger crop ni the long run.

absfabs

Jack's_mummy wrote: »

I could but I'm not sure I want them to flower and set fruit just yet!

Why not? The sooner fruit sets, the sooner you get ripe tomatoes. Gardeners delight certainly keeps growing vigorously while it sets fruit. keeps growing as long as you let it.

fifipat

You should be pinchng out side shoots to ecourage growth. Tomatoes may be self pollinating or you can use a soft paint brush. We can't grow tomatoes outside in most places of Scotland.

Jack's_mummy

absfabs wrote: »

Why not? The sooner fruit sets, the sooner you get ripe tomatoes. Gardeners delight certainly keeps growing vigorously while it sets fruit. keeps growing as long as you let it.

Mainly because my windowsills aren't big enough and it's far too cold to put them outside and looks like I have a snow threat in the next 2 weeks!:eek: