Should I Pinch or Leave it

[OROZCONLECHE]

This is My Early Girl Tomato Plant, Its about 10 Inches Tall, Its Pretty small and its on a 1 Gallon Pot, a week ago I took the bottom leaves off the plant and diged the plant about 1-2 Inches more, then yesterday I saw from what it looks a flower about to open, should I Pinch it off or leave it, I use a fish and guano fertilizer every 4 days
[img]https://i1228.photobucket.com/albums/ee442/OROZCOVICTOR/2012-01-13190257.jpg[/img]

[hardland]

The flower is a blossom, that is what turns into a tomato. I would leave it alone for sure. Also, the plant is only 10 inches tall, let it grow some more. The only thing you need to pick off is the suckers, but not at this stage. Why such a small pot?

[rainbowgardener]

Well, it is a little more controversial than that. Yes the flower is what will become a tomato. Some people would pinch the first flowers because the plant is still pretty small to support fruiting. At this stage you just want the plant and root system to get well developed.

A one gallon pot is appropriate to the current size of the plant. Having it in a big pot right now could contribute to waterlogging it, because that much soil stays damp a long time. But yes, OcL should be prepared to up pot it once more into a container at least 5 gallon size.

OCL - once it gets big enough and is in the big pot, I would back off the fish and guano (even now every 4 days sounds like a whole lot). That stuff is very high nitrogen. Once your plant is well established and ready to go in the big pot, you don't want to keep feeding it so much nitrogen. The N fosters lots of big leafy plant growth at the expense of fruiting. Look for something like Tomato Tone, that is high on the PK, not the N.

[OROZCONLECHE]

Yea I was thinking of pinching off the tomato so the plant can keep growing, as the plant is still too small, and its indoors, I want it to be big enough till it starts getting warm outside, I will stop adding fish fert. but should I keep the tomato?

[rainbowgardener]

up to you... you've heard the arguments on both sides now. Some do, some don't. That's why I said "controversial."