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jasbo
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To remove blossoms or leave them?

I have a Celebrity tomato that's about 2 feet tall in a deck planter. It's pretty well developed for a plant that's only been set out for two weeks. I'm wondering whether I should leave the four blossoms that have developed the last few days or pinch them off. (I already removed the ones that were on it before planting.)

I've read that early on it's better to let the plant devote its energy to establishing a strong root system and leave fruit production for later. I just don't know how much time should pass before I let the production begin. Any tips? Thanks in advance.

Jim

pizzarrhea
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if you want it to grow tomatoes you should keep the blossoms on haha

TZ -OH6
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It sounds like your plant is developing normally. If just flowers are on a plant (not fruit) when it is time to go in the ground the plant will be established and growing by the time any fruit put stress on the plant. About the worst thing that can happen is the stressed plant will drop the flowers on its own.

I usually don't bother taking off lower leaves when I put the plants in the ground-hole. If the leaves get buried so be it. The plant will draw in and translocate the nutrients as the leaves die to help with new growth.

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gixxerific
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When I am planting tomatoes I normally take off the some maybe all flowers and fruit that may be developing already. I start mine way early as well so that is something to consider. After that I let nature take it's course. With some pruning.

All of the above comes with a grain of salt, it all depends on how I feel about the plant and the weather at the time.

To add to what THZ said. When I plant I normally take off off the under ground leaves. I plant my tomatoes deep. He said he leav3es them on the plant to become one with the soil. I clip them off but I thrown them in the bottom of the hole for the same but different reason.

Confused yet? :lol:

Again notice the keyword "normally" gardening is a gut feeling kind of thing. At least for me things change up year to year and month to month.

gardenbean
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gix-I think you may be on to something in regards to your "gut feeling". What I have benn noticing is there is no set in stone rules for tomatoes and just when I have them figured out something will come along and throw those ideas right out the window.

With that being said, I am now not "babying" plants like I used too. Maybe with this new motto I will have a more successful gardening experience with my tomatoes this year. :lol:

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digitS'
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Since Celebrity is a determinate variety, I'd be disinclined to mess with the flowers.

This isn't from experience with growing determinates - well, more like having problems growing determinates. Anyway, I'd just allow the plants to do their own thing.

Indeterminates, I'd expect to rebound from most anything. Those are what I usually grow. If they have fruit or flowers on them at transplanting time, I usually take them off.

Plants have begun to develop fruit very early and then just kind of sat there, with much less growth than those around them that aren't developing fruit early. At least, that early fruit is what I've blamed for the plant's slow growth.

Steve

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gixxerific
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gardenbean wrote:gix-I think you may be on to something in regards to your "gut feeling". What I have been noticing is there is no set in stone rules for tomatoes and just when I have them figured out something will come along and throw those ideas right out the window.
Someone on here had in their signature a quote. I want to say it was Benjamin Franklin, but last time I thought I knew who it was I was corrected.
:oops: :lol:

But the quote went: "I am an old man, but a young gardener" That sums it up in one sentence. There is so much to learn about gardening, so many plants and each one needs different care to be perfect, so many diff climate differences. Than seasonal changes are thrown in than those change year to year. Add bugs and disease.......on and on it goes. But like you said just when you thought you knew it all you realize you know nothing at all, or so it seems. 8)

ruggr10
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Gixx,

Learning about gardening is great and I've done my darnedest as a newer gardener to learn from the great experience on this forum. I've always been a wicked nerd and literally dreamed of knowing everything as a youngster...

but I've learned something this spring... I love walking through my garden, around my fruit trees, and in amongst my berries and seeing something new everyday. I have learned that if I pay attention and sometimes scootch real low there's always something new and cool that I couldn't learn in books or online.

No matter how rough a day I'm having...that makes me smile.
Last edited by ruggr10 on Thu Jun 09, 2011 5:06 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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digitS'
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gixxerific wrote:
Someone on here had in their signature a quote. I want to say it was Benjamin Franklin, but last time I thought I knew who it was I was corrected.
:oops: :lol:

But the quote went: "I am an old man, but a young gardener" That sums it up in one sentence. . .
I believe the person who said that was Weezie about her husband, George Jefferson.

Steve's digitS'

gardenbean
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ruggr10 wrote:Gixx,

Learning about gardening is great and I've done my darnedest as a newer gardener to learn from the great experience on this forum. I've always been a wicked nerd and literally dreamed of knowing everything as a youngster...

but I've learned something this spring... I love walking through my garden, around my fruit trees, and in amongst my berries and seeing something knew everyday. I have learned that if I pay attention and sometimes scootch real low there's always something new and cool that I couldn't learn in books or online.

No matter how rough a day I'm having...that makes me smile.

You get that feeling from your garden space too? Me too :lol:

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Runningtrails
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So do I. :D A stroll through the garden or a sit on the garden bench always seems to restore peace and tranquility.

BP
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I'd leave them on. My 2 Celebrity plants are about 3 feet tall and both have 3 clusters of flowers on them. I know it's determinate, but the first cluter just started opening once the 3rd formed. Leads me to believe I will have a little time difference in ripening. First time growing them so I don't know.



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