If you’ve noticed your tomato plants flowering earlier than expected this year, you’re not alone. Many gardeners end up with premature flowers on their tomatoes, leaving them wondering why it happened and what to do about it.
In this article, we’ll explore the main causes of early flowering in tomato plants and provide some tips to avoid it in the future. We’ll also look at whether you should pinch off early flowers or just leave them be.
Why Are My Tomato Plants Flowering So Soon?
There are a few key reasons why tomato plants may start flowering too early in the growing season
Age of Transplants
If you bought tomato transplants from a nursery or garden center, they may have been older than you realized. Tomato seeds are usually started 4-6 weeks before being sold as bedding plants. So transplants that are 2 months old may flower sooner than expected Always inspect plants before purchasing and avoid those with flowers already
Variety/Maturity Date
Some tomato varieties, especially determinate types, are early maturing and flower faster than others Compact determinate tomatoes only grow to a certain size before flowering Popular early varieties like Early Girl can flower in just 7-8 weeks from transplanting.
Indoor Growing Conditions
Starting tomatoes too far in advance indoors can sometimes trigger premature flowering. Tomatoes started more than 8 weeks before transplanting may outgrow their containers and bloom. The warmth and light levels indoors can encourage faster growth.
High Temperatures
Warm weather tends to speed up growth and development in tomato plants. If temperatures rise above 85°F early in spring, tomatoes may shift into the reproductive stage faster. Greenhouses and cold frames heat up quickly on sunny days.
Excess Nitrogen
Heavy fertilizing with nitrogen early on encourages leafy growth at the expense of flowering and fruit production. Avoid over-feeding with nitrogen while plants are young and shift to more phosphorus/potassium at flowering.
Should You Remove Early Tomato Flowers?
It’s generally not recommended to pluck off early tomato flowers. Here’s why:
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Tomatoes naturally produce more flowers than they can support as fruit. Extra flowers will drop off on their own later.
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Removing flowers means losing potential tomatoes. It’s better to allow pollination and fruit set.
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Determinate varieties only get one flush of flowers over a short time. Pinching flowers limits total fruit production.
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Indeterminates bloom continuously through the season. No need to reduce flowers since more will come.
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Plants self-regulate the number of fruit they can support. Don’t second guess the plant’s natural processes.
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Cool temps (below 55°F) already cause excess flowers to abort. No need to remove more.
So rather than pulling off early blooms, just allow the plant to self-thin excess flowers. Focus instead on protecting the flowers you do get against cold/frost damage.
What to Do for Early Flowering Tomatoes
If your tomato plants are flowering ahead of schedule, here are some tips:
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Add row covers, cloches, or cold frames to protect from frost at night. Tomatoes need 55°F+ for pollination.
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Start hand pollinating flowers by vibrating them with an electric toothbrush. Lack of wind may prevent self-pollination.
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Use blossom set hormone spray to help set fruit. It tricks plants into producing without pollination.
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Avoid heavy nitrogen fertilizer which promotes foliage over flowers/fruit.
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Monitor moisture carefully. Too much or too little water causes flower drop.
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Add shade structures if daytime temperatures exceed 85°F. Blossoms abort in extreme heat.
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Choose smaller fruited varieties next year. Heavy fruit loads take longer to mature.
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Transplant younger plants, ideally 5-6 weeks after seeding. Old transplants bolt faster.
Preventing Early Flowering in the Future
To avoid premature flowering of tomatoes in the future:
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Start seeds indoors only 6-8 weeks before transplanting outside.
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Inspect transplants carefully and reject those that already have open flowers.
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Select slower maturing indeterminate varieties that bloom over a longer window.
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Use row covers and cold frames to regulate soil/air temperatures if starting early.
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Test soil and only fertilize if needed. Too much nitrogen encourages leafy growth.
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Gradually expose indoor started plants to outdoor conditions before transplanting.
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Harden off plants by reducing water and temperature for 7-10 days pre-transplant.
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Transplant on schedule based on your region’s last average frost date.
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Ensure proper soil nutrition and moisture levels after transplanting. Both affect flowering time.
By understanding what causes early flowering and taking a few simple precautions, you can help keep your tomato plants flowering on schedule. Pay close attention to start times, transplant age, and growing conditions for the best results.
Hybrid vs. Heirloom Tomatoes
When selecting between hybrid and heirloom tomatoes, its important to consider how genetic factors can influence flower drop and overall fruit set. Hybrid tomato plants are often bred for resilience against extreme temperatures and may exhibit better performance in preventing blossom drop, especially in conditions with high daytime temperatures or low nighttime temperatures.
Heirloom varieties, while potentially offering unique flavors, might require more attention to humidity levels and proper nutrition to ensure that tomato flowers remain healthy and can effectively set fruit, leading to abundant blooms and minimal flower drop in your vegetable garden.
Importance of Addressing the Issue
Addressing the issue of tomato flowers falling off is vital for a productive vegetable garden. Blossom drop in tomato plants can be caused by extreme temperatures, improper soil moisture, and nutrient imbalances.
Ensuring healthy plants involves maintaining the ideal daytime temperatures range and avoiding high daytime temperatures and low nighttime temperatures. To prevent blossom drop, practice consistent watering and conduct a soil test to ensure proper nutrition.
Selecting heat tolerant varieties can help mitigate the effects of high daytime temperatures and low nighttime temperatures. Encouraging beneficial insects like bumble bees improves pollination, reducing the chances of flower drop.
Finally, managing plant stress through appropriate disease control and avoiding too much nitrogen helps tomatoes grow and set fruit successfully.
What Happens When You Don’t Pinch Early Blooms on Your Tomato Plants
FAQ
Should you remove early flowers from tomato plants?
Whether or not to remove early tomato flowers is a matter of debate among gardeners, with strong arguments on both sides.
What to do when a tomato starts to flower?
You could pinch off the flowers and let the plants energy go to producing more foliage if you want. That may be healthier for the plant in the long run but you may just want to let it start producing if it’s big and healthy already.
Is it too early for tomatoes to flower?
You should see yellow flowers on your tomato plants at 5–7 weeks, and soon after that, you should see some of those flowers turning into little green tomatoes.
Can tomato plants handle 40 degrees?
Another temperature to keep in mind: tomato plants will not survive in temperatures below 35 degrees Fahrenheit, and will not thrive at temperatures below 50 degrees. Gardeners can use a frost date calendar to note their region’s average dates of last frost in spring and first frost in fall.