Seedlings are now flowering

[FISHINNUT]

The seedlings I started are now starting to flower. I'm unable to plant them outdoors due to the crazy weather in the midwest. How long can I keep them inside? I've already re-potted most of the plants into 1/2 gallon size containers.

[PaulF]

It WILL get better I am sure. I have not re re-potted and the roots are probably pretty tangled by now. They should be OK for a while yet so long as they get light. I have read that those early blossoms should be nipped off. When time does come to put them in the ground the plants should be concentrating on establishing roots rather than going into the reproductive stage.

[SharonRossy]

Ok, that was my question. I just noticed that on some of my seedlings, flowers are forming so I have pinched them out. We can't plant out until end of May. So it should be ok if we remove the flowers?

[luigiwu]

I have the same issue and someone mentioned it means they are stressed? yeah, I'm trying to get my planted asap. I can't take the pressure anymore of keeping these guys healthy and alive! lol

[JamesL]

You are ok to do it either way.
The early flowers may or may not set fruit and could just abort themselves in short order anyway.
The theory / logic to pinching is to allow the plant to put all energy into growing and not fruiting early into the season as Paul wrote.
Pinch and no tomato. No pinch and maybe an early BLT. Odds are for us northerners that early tomato might not be very good anyway if the weather isn't so great.
So I will vote for - completely your choice. No wrong answer.

I have a couple of flower buds forming on a Pineapple that I just noticed today. Will probably take them off.

[bower]

My tomatoes all have buds now in various stages, and still in beer cups. I won't be pinching any off though, unless it is the 'megabloom' type which in my experience just produces messed up fruit. Not all early fruit are poor quality (some are not the best, but we do eat em anyway).
I would think that a half gallon container would be big enough to sustain the first fruit if you want them, so good for you! They'll be big and strong when you plant them out, whether you pinch the blossoms or not.

[SharonRossy]

I was recommended to pinch them off because they won't be able to support them in a 4" pot and planting out time is too far away. I don't have the space to transplant into anything bigger. Also, I was told not to remove any suckers. I never thought I'd have such healthy seedlings at this point. I started almost one week earlier sowing seeds because last year was not very good. I'm not complaining, just hoping they stay healthy!

[Father'sDaughter]

I started mine a week later than usual, and I'm still in the same boat -- running out of room fast! It's making me re-think my whole timeline for next year especially since I recently read that Gary (Tormato), who's not too far from me, doesn't start his until right about now. Just two days ago I sowed two seeds for a variety I wanted to grow but had to wait for. If they sprout, I'll be able to compare them to the ones I started six weeks ago.

The farmer that runs our local CSA declared in her email message this week that June 1st is this year's plant out date for tomatoes--I hope she's wrong!

[JamesL]

June 1! Ouch. The 10 day forecast is starting to look pretty good for LI.
A few lows in the mid 40's this week and then it appears 50 will be the bottom.
Need to see what the 10 day is this Friday. It might be go time!

[SharonRossy]

We're looking at June 1st here too. It's usually around May 24th, but that's not the recommendation this year. It's going to be interesting. I guess next year I will wait another week before sowing seeds!

[JamesL]

I started later as well and could have waited another week. Any plants that didn't get grafted are raring to go.
Some are catching a few rays right now.....



Please plant us!!!!! These larger ones have been in the garage for almost 2 weeks.

[bower]

JamesL, your soil blocks are super cool!

I'm so frustrated that they keep changing the forecast.. nights above zero are always three days off. Starting to wonder if they're dangling that carrot just to keep us from jumping off cliffs - or dumping our giant, unhappy plants off em.

KarenO's advice and method is to resist the temptation to plant before it's warm... but the 'temptation' is bordering on an imperative at this point. Let em tough it out, I think... and then they go forecast 10 cm of snow for Tuesday. Humbug.

[bower]

Hmmm, just happened on this ag page about the care and cultivation of tomato seedlings... it gives some data and advice about storage of seedlings when planting is delayed.

http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/...cts/94-061.htm

[JamesL]

Originally Posted by bower

JamesL, your soil blocks are super cool!

I'm so frustrated that they keep changing the forecast.. nights above zero are always three days off. Starting to wonder if they're dangling that carrot just to keep us from jumping off cliffs - or dumping our giant, unhappy plants off em.

KarenO's advice and method is to resist the temptation to plant before it's warm... but the 'temptation' is bordering on an imperative at this point. Let em tough it out, I think... and then they go forecast 10 cm of snow for Tuesday. Humbug.

This is the most dangerous time of year. You spend months raising plants and can blow it all with some irrational exuberance.

I lover the blocks! One of my better decisions on switching to them. No planting shock and no root bound plants. No dealing with flats and cups alone made it worth it.
They do come with a bit of a learning curve, and making them can be a bit tedious, but it really pays off on the back end.

The roots just sort of chill out and they will be hanging like hair from the bottom in another week.

[bower]

JamesL,
They really are amazing. Just from the looks I'd be afraid the whole thing would fall apart when I watered, but I know they mysteriously hang together, even when the seedlings are small (my friend at the farm started using soil blocks last year, and was so pleased with the results, she got a second one for a different size).