Early flowering tomatoes

[caroline7758]

My tomato plants (Garen Pearl) are only about a foot tall and are flowering already. Is this a sign of stress?

[caroline7758]

[Tee Gee]

Not necessarily this could be due to the better light levels we have had this year.

How far apart are the pairs of leaves up the stem?

Usually when the gap is quite large this can mean that the plants have elongated due to stretching for available light, whereas the reverse is usually true with plants that have been growing in good light levels.

Either way the plant/s will usually flower after the third pair of leaves, so in good condition 12" is OK. In poor light the plants can be 12-18+" before flowering.

If things continue as the are you might find you get an extra truss this year.

[Plot 18]

Garden Pearl is a small bush variety, leave the side shoots to grow so you get more flowers/fruit on each new shoot. It will never grow taller than about 18ins.

I have red fruit on mine already, it is always the first to fruit :)

[saddad]

Mine aren't red yet but the fruit are starting to colour up... fresh toms by next weekend!  Reliably early our GP's.

[BarriedaleNick]

May have to give the Garden Pearl a go next year.  My Red Alerts do have some fruit on them but it will be a week or two before they ripen.
I had an odd plant - much shorter than the other and hasn't really bushed out at all - but it does have some lovely early fruit.

[caroline7758]

Are GP ok outside? My greenhouse is quite shaded so I've put half outside.

[Plot 18]

If you are growing them in pots then they will need a lot of watering.
If you plant them in the soil, they will need a mulch/weed control fabric to keep the fruit off the soil, as they really are small bushes.

[caroline7758]

Thanks. I'm planning to mulch with hops once it stops raining!

[GRACELAND]

mine are in flower too

[johhnyco15]

have tomatoes on my outdoor toms for a fortnight  the good old sunshine coast