[Sideways]

Hi all,

Im growing tomatos in my poly-house for the first time. The plants are doing really well at the moment with lots of healthy growth.

They are now at the fruit stage with the biggest around the size of a golf ball. Ive been removing the new leaf-shoots as advised, and letting the flowers / fruit grow. Now I have noticed that the plants are continuing to produce lots more flowers, there appears to be new 'flower shoots' every day.

Should I also pinch off the new flowers and let the plants concentrate on the fruit that is already growing, or should I let every flower run its course?

Thanks.

[AndyRVTR]

I guess that depends how many tomatoes you want  how many trusses are on each plant?

[Sue33]

news to me, i've never removed the flowers 

[Sideways]

Is there a point in the season when its not worth letting flowers grow?

If they are not going to mature in time, isnt it best to snip them off and let the plant put its remaining energy into the existing fruit?

[mobilekat]

Some plants go a bit manic- its been interesting this year as I have 4 varieties and they are all doing very different things- and have grown in very different ways!

The Golden sunrise I have is very well behaved, the Roma is up to odd things and as for the 'mystery tomato' (think its gardeners delight but lost the label- thats taking over the world!!

The tumblers are bushing well and having fun in their corner!

[AndyRVTR]

Is there a point in the season when its not worth letting flowers grow?

My understanding of tomato plants is that betwen 4-6 trusses should be allowed to develop, after the last one the growth should be stopped by nipping off at the main stem, this will then allow the plant to put all of it's energy into fruit production and not flower/leaf production.

[aelf]

Some plants go a bit manic- its been interesting this year as I have 4 varieties and they are all doing very different things- and have grown in very different ways!

The Golden sunrise I have is very well behaved, the Roma is up to odd things and as for the 'mystery tomato' (think its gardeners delight but lost the label- thats taking over the world!!

The tumblers are bushing well and having fun in their corner!

Same here - it's been a weird season so far. I have 10 Alicante in the greenhouse, all planted on the same day in the same soil. I has gone mad and is set to fill the entire greenhouse, the others are smaller but all different sizes and shapes. Not going to have a mant tome as last year but should still be a reasonable haul 

[goodegg]

ive been growing toms for 50 years and ive never taken a flower off yet,you can take the top off when the plant is as big as you want it to be out side three or four trusses .  but inside your choice ive never heard about taking flowers off and potatoes the same.IMO its a load of rubbish

[mumofstig]

I have Incas in the polytunnel and they were going mad...........and taking over the border!
I hacked them back and tied them up a bit better and order is restored, for now.

I don't start taking flowers off till a month before my last frost is expected. I figure that the month gives them time to ripen before the cold gets to them.

[Sideways]

Thanks all.

[Snoop]

Nobody has mentioned this so far, but if you've got cherry toms, you'll find they are especially prolific.