8 week old plants already starting to flower is a little unusual. But, assuming that is the case and you are talking about removing flower buds...

Unbeknownst to you, you've brought up a debated topic. There will be those that say it makes no difference and those that say yes, you should remove flower buds to give the roots a better chance to develop properly.

Me? I would remove them. I've only experimented with this once. I grew two plants of the same variety in close proximity in the garden. I tried to give bothe the same amount of water and fertilizer etc. But, without being exact and in a controlled environment you'd have to classify it as an unscientific experiment. Both plants had started to flower at transplant time. On one plant I removed the buds and one I didn't. The plant that had the buds left on produced earlier, but had retarded growth through the first part of the growing season. The plant with buds removed grew normally and produced later, but initially had more tomatoes on the vine. By the end of the season the one with buds removed only out produced the other plant by about six tomatoes. So, by leaving the buds on I got earlier tomatoes, but slightly fewer. Your mileage may vary.

Good luck.

Randy

It's your choice. Me? I'd remove them too because I'd prefer that 8 week old plants do some more growing before stressing them with blooming and fruit bearing.

Dave

I see you are in zone 6. I think it there are variables that are relavant - when you will be planting out, how long your growing season is, what the DTM's of the varieties that are budding are ...

For me, I want early tomatoes. I don't want to delay the fruiting process.

A strong root system can be obtained by warm soil & planting the stem DEEP.

And if the variety is a later season variety, DTM 80 or 90 days +, I need all the time I can get. (JMO) ;)

I read the subject line of your posting and thought of this story... a woman here that I work with bought a tomato plant from Lowes... When she bought it, the man told her to 'pick off the buds'... well, she picked them off - all season long.. She could never understand why she didn't get any tomatoes... Came into work complaining we had tomatoes coming out our pores and she had this beautiful tomato plant that never gave any tomatoes... we nearly peed ourselves when we heard she picked off the buds all season long!

Tom, that story is classic! ... it brought a smile to MY face ...

... now THAT'S a novice gardener (that poor woman) ;0)

That is a funny story, Tom. It does invoke an interesting topic though. It seems that although many would remove the 8 week buds, at what point would you not remove them?

My feeling is that you need to look at the broader picture:
What is the size and condition of the plants? What kinds of stress will they be subjected to in the transplanting process? Can reasonable night and daytime temperatures be maintained during this delicate period? How important is it that you have a few early tomatoes?

One thing to keep in mind is that some varieties handle the combined growth and production function better than others. It may even be cute to see early developing fruit on a dwarf potted plant.

I like to evaluate the plant and sometimes compromise by thinning a developing cluster to 2-3 fruits at the early fruit development stage. But I'm usually talking well past 8 weeks. I say "usually" because I've had rooted cuttings that seemed to develop blooms as they rooted. These would produce fruits that were at ground level which is not very desirable from a production standpoint.

On the other hand if I were to buy one of those nursery plants in a gal. pot and it were loaded with blossoms and developing fruits I'd tend to want to keep the process going. So take your chances and see what method works best for you.

Immature buds on an 8 week old plant are of no consequence at transplant time. If we're talking about open flowers on a plant still in a 6-pack, remove them.

If it is a large, healthy plant that has been potted up in a 4" or bigger pot, I'd keep it - especially if its an early determinate or cherry type.

Gene, my concern is that you're in zone 6 so your last average frost date is about May 1 and you really shouldn't put them out until two weeks after that, having hardened them off for a week. So aiming for set out about May 15th.

This is the third week of Feb, so what's going to happen to those already 8 wk old plants between now and when you put them out for hardening off around May 1 for set out around May 15th?

I could tell you but you wouldn't want to hear it Do you have any idea as to how tall and how big they will be and you'd have to plant all of them by trenching. LOL

My commercial farmer friend taught me some ways of slowing down plants.

So if it were me I'd take off all buds and blossoms until you set them out and then when the next round of buds and blossoms appear let them stay on.

In addition, strip off all side foliage leaving the center stem alone with a tuft of foliage at the top.

No fertilizer whatsoever.

Grow at the coolest temps you can.

Be scanty with water letting them droop a bit before you water.

And there is another option. You really have time to take cuttings from your current plants and be able to get them to root and be at about the right size for hardening off and setting out when you should be doing it.

Hope that helps, or hurts, as the case may be. ( smile)

Carolyn

carolyn, they wont be going outside but will going into the greenhouse, is there a time a plant should be once its put into its perment location and when the frist flowers come. they grow real fast under mh lights at about 1,800 fc, there in 4.5 inch pots
gene

Resurrecting a very old topic here but it seems like the appropriate place.

I started all of my tomatoes from seed on March 17 and transplanted into the garden on May 10th. From a few days before transplant up until yesterday I have been pinching off all flowers. I'm debating whether or not now would be a good time to stop.

The 7 tomato plants in my 5-1-1 fabric containers next to my garage wall are incredibly strong, healthy and about 2 feet tall at least. But they get direct sun pretty much all day long.

The 7 tomato plants in my garden (in raised beds) are growing okay but not as vigorously as the ones next to my garage. They are about 18" tall and receive sunlight between 7am-10am, then 12pm-2pm and then again from 5pm to dark. Kind of weird but its all due to the angle of the sun and the obstructions in between during the various parts of the day.

Both sets of plants have been producing flowers. Is now a good time to stop?

There are a couple of other discussions running about this question here right now. Normally, assuming the plants are of proper size to transplant to the garden outside, then removing blooms is stopped once the plants are transplanted to their final growing place. Yours certainly sound plenty big enough to leave alone.

In other words, you remove any they have before planting and then leave them. If the plant can't cope with them, they drop.

Dave

Yes, I agree with above. You describe your plants as already strong, planted in large containers with good medium, they get plenty of sun ... so there shouldn't be and issue that leaving the blossom might cause some kind of stress on them and prevent them from growing bigger.
When I bought a 6" seedling (RC ML) it had some buds on it. I pinched them because I wanted the plan to spend all its energy on growth (roots, foliage). But when it flowered at 16" , I welcomed it with open arms .:D