The Yellow Flowers on my Tomato Plants

[Lish]

To pinch or not to pinch? I have read to pinch them off so the fruit will taste better. I have also read if I pinch them off I will get no fruit at all. What is the correct answer?

[elevenplants]

I wouldn't. That's where your tomatoes are going to be.

Rebecca

[cynthia_h]

Right you are, elevenplants. A pollinated tomato flower wants desperately to grow up and become a tomato.

No flower? No tomato

Cynthia H.
Sunset Zone 17, USDA Zone 9

[TZ -OH6]

I have never heard of anyone pinching blossoms other than for seedlings that bloomed before they were planted into the garden. Even then it does not matter because the plant has time to get established, you just do not want developing fruit on plants when you put them into the garden because they will take energy that could better be used growing new roots at that point in time, and therefore stunt the plant.

If you want to pinch something to increase flavor and size, pinch off any deformed green fruit as soon as you notice them so that you do not have to deal with catfaced fruit later on (assuming that you have more than enough fruit for your needs). These fruits develop deep cracks while still small and then heal into catfaced fruit full of 'scar' tissue.


You can also limit trusses on the large beefsteaks to 3-4 tomatoes and pinch off any more that start to form.

[The Helpful Gardener]

TZ is right; I'd adopt a wait and see and remove later, when they are forming fruit...

HG