I started my tomatoes from seed about 7 weeks ago. They are now
between 14 and 18 inches tall and seem strong. I've noticed this week
that they are beginning to grow flower buds. I haven't transplanted
them to my garden yet (I plan to plant them next weekend). Should I
remove the buds? Do they need the energy to develop the roots instead?

Thanks in advance.

Yes, remove the buds. You do this with mostly everything that you plant out
so they get a good growth on their roots.

--
Lynn

"Suzanne" wrote in message
oups.com...
I started my tomatoes from seed about 7 weeks ago. They are now
between 14 and 18 inches tall and seem strong. I've noticed this week
that they are beginning to grow flower buds. I haven't transplanted
them to my garden yet (I plan to plant them next weekend). Should I
remove the buds? Do they need the energy to develop the roots instead?

Thanks in advance.

On 4 May 2006 19:57:49 -0700, "Suzanne" wrote:

I started my tomatoes from seed about 7 weeks ago. They are now
between 14 and 18 inches tall and seem strong. I've noticed this week
that they are beginning to grow flower buds. I haven't transplanted
them to my garden yet (I plan to plant them next weekend). Should I
remove the buds? Do they need the energy to develop the roots instead?

Thanks in advance.

Don't worry about them. If the plant is strong enough to support them
it will, if not the blossoms will drop.
--
Susan N.

"Moral indignation is in most cases two percent moral,
48 percent indignation, and 50 percent envy."
Vittorio De Sica, Italian movie director (1901-1974

Suzanne wrote:
I started my tomatoes from seed about 7 weeks ago. They are now
between 14 and 18 inches tall and seem strong. I've noticed this week
that they are beginning to grow flower buds. I haven't transplanted
them to my garden yet (I plan to plant them next weekend). Should I
remove the buds? Do they need the energy to develop the roots instead?

Thanks in advance.
============
I've done it both ways, seemed to make no difference. The taller
ones though were in 1/2 gallon milk cartons and had a deep root system
come transplant time.

You could always experiment, take some flowers off one, leave them on
another. You could even try plant using a trench method for some,
(typical) vertical plating in another.

wrote:
Suzanne wrote:

I started my tomatoes from seed about 7 weeks ago. They are now
between 14 and 18 inches tall and seem strong. I've noticed this week
that they are beginning to grow flower buds. I haven't transplanted
them to my garden yet (I plan to plant them next weekend). Should I
remove the buds? Do they need the energy to develop the roots instead?

Thanks in advance.

============
I've done it both ways, seemed to make no difference. The taller
ones though were in 1/2 gallon milk cartons and had a deep root system
come transplant time.

You could always experiment, take some flowers off one, leave them on
another. You could even try plant using a trench method for some,
(typical) vertical plating in another.

I agree with "leave 'em alone". As was said, it the plant
can handle them, it will, if it can't it'll drop 'em.

--
Steve

I personally remove them, since I bury my stems gradually with mulch to
grow more roots, and I've no use for a bunch of tomatoes at the bottem
of the stem. It doesn't seem to matter in terms of strength of plant
per se, but I just do it so I can bury my stems as the plant gets
taller.