[LivvyW]

I have very healthy plants that are probably a smidgen away from showing the first truss, but they really need moving on.

What is the reason for waiting until the first flower?

[mumofstig]

Pass, I just plant mine when the weather is suitable, with no temperatures under 10C.
Doesn't seem to cause any problem

[Aunt Sally]

So do I.

[Ice]

Never heard of waiting for the first truss to plant toms and I have been growing them for over ten years.

[Aunt Sally]

I've heard of it but just don't bother to do it:

http://www.rhs.org.uk/Gardening/Grow-Your-Own/Veg-A-to-Z/Tomatoes

Growing tab.

[peapod]

Never heard of waiting for the flower here too.  The only reason I could think of would be to support the weight of the fruit as the stem puts out more root matter, but thats only if it would also recommend planting up to the bottom leaves.  Or possibly to reduce feeding requirements for the first few weeks?

Anyway, its not a problem if you dont 

[Miss Molly]

I've never heard of this either   The only rules i follow is plant in soil when too big for pot they're in and dont start feeding till first fruit has set i.e. you can see first little green tomato underneath flower.  Watched my mum growing tomatoes since i was toddler and these rules have always seen me right.

[peapod]

Mums are ALWAYS right whitegollie 

[Gandan57]

Presumably if the plants are planted outside 8 weeks after sowing the seed that`s the stage of growth they will be at, just about to start flowering.

Some of mine are almost at that stage now, the first truss is just visible, but I`ll keep repotting them into larger pots for another few weeks. They went outside in a very sheltered spot today but back in at night.

[operabunny]

I wait for the weather, not the flowers! always seems to work out fine!

[Babstreefern]

Never heard of that before.  When my toms are roughly 9 inches, give or take an inch or two, I just plant them into black flower buckets (the ones you get from Morrisons) and shove them in the greenhouse.  If it gets a bit nippy through the night, I make sure everything is closed up.  They thrive and when its really hot, as of the last the couple of weeks, I leave the doors and windows open all day and then shut them up in the evening after watering them.  I do the same with my cukes

[snowdrops]

I was reliably informed that you should keep them in 3" pots until the first flowers form as it will produce earlier fruit as it stresses the plant & so it tries to reproduce itself as that is what it is programmed to do.You can end up with straggly plants though before potting on but they soon thicken up once planted into final pots.

[muntjac]

if my tom plants had flowers on then i would nip them off when planting,if they are forming truss then they aint forming roots or going for the roof trusses loike wot mine do