Tomato plants flowering weeks before time to plant?

I've had a veggie garden for a number of years and done well, but before this year I've never done well with starting from seed. Last season I realized a lot had to do with how cold it is in our New Hampshire house in late winter & early spring. We also don't get many hours of light for anything sitting on a windowsill until about now, either. My hubby built me a light shelf for Christmas, and I've been so happy at how well everything's been growing!

I've started everything according to a schedule I got from my local cooperative extension. Frankly, I've started to wonder about the plan, because, among other things, my tomato plants are now gargantuan! I've re-potted them twice, setting them deeper each time, just like you're supposed to. They are currently living in milk cartons and 2 liter bottles. (Unexpected fun - watching the roots grow in the bottles.) They're about 5 weeks old.

I have the amusing task of lifting the lights pretty much daily because the tomato plants are so vigorous. We did adjust the shelving once to give more head room for that shelf, but it's not really possible to keep doing that. Today I gave up and put 4 of the tallest ones on a table in the sunniest corner of the house - windows on two sides. As I was placing them there, I noticed that 2 Matt's Wild Cherry plants are about to flower.

In addition to being funny (tomatoes in May in New Hampshire? You've got to be kidding!), I do wonder if I should be pinching the flowers for the plants' health. I've always bought healthy starts from the local Agway (farm & garden store), but they've never been nearly this big, and they've never had flowers. It's 3 - 4 weeks before tomatoes are supposed to go in the ground around here. Will the flowers produce fruit at this point, or just drop off, or who knows?

Thanks.

P.S. And of course I'll be watching them closely to see if they're still getting enough light. If not, we could move the shelves around again, but I'd like to avoid it. They were pretty crowded on that one shelf, too, and I was worried about too little air flow. Besides, I need some room for other things, too.

If the temperature allows you can put the plants out during the day and that will slow them down some. Just be sure to put them in a sheltered spot at first so the wind doesn't blow them around. As for the flowers, you can remove them and this will initially focus the plants energy on producing roots as opposed to fruit. If your plants are really tall you can dig a trench and bury most of the stem which will insure a great root system.

Agreed. Put them outside during the day if you're able and pinch the blooms. You don't want any blooms trying to produce fruit if they are recovering from being transplanted in the garden.

Thanks! I wasn't sure, but that was my instinct - to have them put their energy toward roots & leaves rather than fruit. I hadn't thought about the problem of them being in the middle of making fruit right after transplanting - good point. And right after I posted, I felt like an idiot, because duh! of course they'd need hand pollination inside.

It's been warm enough to put them outside during the day, but darn windy. I put them out today when it was calm and did some other chores. I looked out the window and realized how windy it was. Poor things had fallen over and most lost leaves, but they'll recover.

My favorite gardening book says you don't want them too big - just right for one of those square, short, 4" pots - before transplanting. But then they sell those large ones in most nurseries. (I think mine might be bigger than the ones I've seen in the biggest pots in the nurseries at this point.) Any opinions on ideal size at transplant time for tomatoes? And at what age are they this size, in your experience?

I sowed them on my birthday, because it was within the time frame of the Extension's chart. As much fun as that was, I don't think I'll do that next year because they really are too big to handle.

Tomatoes will self pollinate with just a little brush of the leaves (or shake of the container) You'll be surprised at how well they fertilize inside.

When a tomato is bigger than I like, I either trench it in on its side (it will straighten up...trust me) or pull off all but the very top leaves and plant it that deep.
I like tomato plants about 8" tall when I transplant, but the weather doesn't always cooperate, so I've planted them at all stages and sizes...mostly they turn out fine. 6 to 8 weeks is generally plenty of time for growing indoors. That gives you about an 8" plant.

I live in Rhode Island zone 6B. I plant my tomato seed during the second week in April and have a good quality plant in a 4 inch pot about 8-10 inches tall with no flower initiation by June first. I have found that is the approximate date that night temps are 60 degrees or over. I should point out that I have a greenhouse which I am sure you are aware is infinitely better than trying to grow plants indoors even with artificial light. Many of the tomato plants you see for sale at places like Home Depot, Lowes and Wal-Mart are treated with a growth regulator which tends to shorten the internode (space between leaf nodes), thicken the stem and makes the plant a darker green and gives the plant a much longer shelf life. Once planted the effects of the growth regulator are no longer an issue and the plant resumes it's regular growth. As far as plant size is concerned I have seen tomato plants in 12 inch pots selling for $19.99. They will in all probability produce the first red tomato on the block but by the end if the season my 8 inch tomato will produce just as many fruit. Bottom line is you cannot plant using a book's recommended date for seed sowing. If your plants are too tall and flowering you should move your seeding date up. It's all trial and error. Good luck with your garden.