New squash and cucumber plants flowering already.

[Cableguy1000]

Hi, I'm brand new here. I need some help. I have some new squash and cucumber plants that I just transplanted into my straw bale garden that I grew from seed. I'm concerned because these plants are only 5 to 6 inches and blooming flowers already. Should I pick the blooms or leave them? There is no way the plants will be able to support the fruit.
Thanks in advance!

[gumbo2176]

I would, especially since you say you just transplanted them. They will likely slow down a bit from being transplanted until the roots get to spreading. I direct sow those type seeds in my garden, but mine is a traditional row garden and the cucumbers are trellised. I've already picked about 30 cucumbers so far, but I'm in the deep south and have had my seeds in the ground for about 6-7 weeks.

[PumpkinBlythe]

Mine are going nuts also and I have either jalapenos bell peppers coming around as well.

[imafan26]

I know where there are frosty nights and torrential rain, it is hard to time seeding. You do want to try to get your fast growing plants transplanted out once they have true leaves. If you can't then you might have to pot up sooner to keep them from stunting.

[GardeningCook]

I know where there are frosty nights and torrential rain, it is hard to time seeding. You do want to try to get your fast growing plants transplanted out once they have true leaves. If you can't then you might have to pot up sooner to keep them from stunting.

Umm - the OP stated that his plants are already transplanted. Question is whether or not to pinch off the blooms that are already appearing while the transplants are still small.

To the OP - it won't hurt to pinch off those early blossoms. In fact, many early blossoms will end up aborted by the plant itself. Pinching off that early stuff will urge the plant to put more effort into getting established instead of into fruit production, which will be better with a better established mother plant.

[imafan26]

I meant transplanted earlier. If the plants are only 5-6 inches tall then they are pretty small be flowering and if they were transplanted earlier like when they were 2-3 weeks old or potted into larger containers if they could not go out, they should have been bigger.