How To Prune Tomatoes When growing tomatoes, the ultimate goal is to help the plant yield as much ripe fruit as possible. Remove all suckers as they develop (suckers are the growths in the crotch between stem and vine), and all non-essential growth, like vines which are spilling out over the raised garden bed or becoming tangled with adjacent bushes. Let all the suckers grow, and your tomato will form a large bushy plant with many small tomatoes. What Are Determinate and Indeterminate Tomatoes? Look for the tomato "suckers," which grow in the "V" space between the main stem and the branches on your tomato plant. If left unpruned, these suckers will eventually grow into full-sized branches—adding lots of foliage and, eventually, a few fruits. The main reason to prune tomato plants is that it helps your plant direct its energy toward producing fruit rather than producing more foliage. When you first start pruning tomatoes, keep three rules in mind: first, never, ever prune above the top blossoms. There is one big catch: You should only prune indeterminate varieties , which produce new leaves and flowers continuously through the growing season. As well as that, their size matches exactly the tomato branches, as they don't cut anything bigger than 1 inch. Tidy Rose tomato is a beefsteak type, which produces large ‘maters perfect for slicing onto sandwiches. If you do any pruning at all above the first flower cluster on determinate tomatoes, you’ll only be throwing away potential fruit. Don’t worry if you miss a week, because your tomato plants still produce tasty fruits if they aren’t suckered. Before you make any cuts, figure out whether you're growing an indeterminate or determinate variety of tomato plant. Plenty of people do not prune at all and still grow good tomatoes. How to prune a tomato plant Pruning a tomato plant is often easy to do without even tools to aid. Read our, The Difference Between Vining and Bush Tomatoes. The best time to prune tomato plants is in the early morning on a dry day. Tomato suckers are the small sprouts that form in the crotch where leaves connect to the stem. The first season of pruning tomato plants will feel strange because you’re cutting off a lot of the plant, but this actually helps it produce more tomatoes. If you catch them when they’re small enough, you can easily pinch them with your fingers. Leaves touching the ground can be susceptible to bacteria, fungi, and viral infections that can spread through the rest of the plant. Removing large amounts of foliage at one time can stress the plant. Tomato plants form a growing stem that pops out of the crotch where a leaf attaches to the main stem. But in areas where tomato blight is rampant, pruning suckers that form below the first flower cluster improves air flow inside the plant, which can slow disease outbreaks. Over-pruning may lead to sun scald. Growing tomatoes is likely one of summer’s most common garden projects. [2] Learn how and why. How to Prune Tomatoes. When To Prune Tomatoes? Oct 15, 2018 - Pruning tomatoes - how and when to do it: http://www.tomatodirt.com/pruning-tomato.html. When you prune your tomatoes you will improve their form and remove any conditions or diseases that might create bacterial and fungal problems on the plant. If you're not concerned about growing large fruit or trying to keep the plants under control, you don't need to worry about pruning. Most tomato pruning can be done by pinching off whatever part of the plant needs to be removed. Whenever possible, remove the suckers when they are small. Growing tomatoes up rather than out is probably the most popular vertical gardening technique of all. Look for the tomato "suckers," which grow in the "V" space between the main stem and the branches on your tomato plant. It really is that simple. If you're growing indeterminate tomatoes, which produce fruit regularly over the course of a season, pruning is essential. You may need to move the piece back and forth until it loosens enough to break off. Learn tips for creating your most beautiful (and bountiful) garden ever. For the little shoots, pinching off the sucker is enough to do the job. In fact, a Purdue study found that there was a 25% increase in fruit size when the suckers are pruned. And, Angus says, “That means pruning them.” To understand how best to prune your plant, it’s a good idea to understand these basic points about the structure of a tomato plant: The plant becomes bushier and less productive. If you’re growing indeterminate or “vining” varieties (Big Boy, Beef Master, most heirlooms), pruning your plants to remove unwanted shoots and leaves ensures that all the nutrients are going to the tomatoes. Let all the suckers grow, and your tomato will form a large bushy plant with many small tomatoes. Suckers are the enemy! If you miss one and it has grown thicker than a pencil, leave it alone. Try them and see if they boost your harvest. Having too many flowering leave and off-shooting suckers will decrease production and slow down the plants ability to full ripen existing fruit. Hold the part of the plant between your thumb and index finger before gently snapping the piece away. Next, prune out suckers when they’re small. How To Prune Tomatoes. While you’re at it, use poles, trellises, or cages to keep the tomato vines off of the ground. Prune away the flowers until the tomato plant is at least a foot tall, better yet 18 inches. Follow these tips for growing tomatoes in your summer vegetable garden. Not all types of tomatoes need to be pruned. When a tomato plant is nicely pruned and staked well, its leaf tips are open to the sun and are able to conduct photosynthesis without excess stress. Determine which variety you're growing. Why should you consider pruning tomatoes? To prune, you simply remove these suckers. Pruning and staking go hand in hand. Many gardeners don’t prune determinate tomatoes (above), especially in regions with short growing seasons. Fantastico is a grape tomato that’s determinate, growing to form a tidy bush. If you prune your plants and prize tomatoes appear, but the plants are not staked, your plants won't be able to hold the weight and will fall to the ground. Branches that are low-hanging and touching the ground should either be staked up or removed. Prune to keep the plant at a manageable size. Pruning Tomato Plants. Leaving them on will take the energy away from the leaves, slowing fruit production and growth. On determinate plants, it’s also good to remove any leaves touching the ground, along with any that are yellow or sickly looking. Gardeners love to swap tips for growing tomatoes, and each one promises bigger and more tomatoes per plant. Of course, tomato pruning isn't a required chore, no matter which type of tomato you're growing. The primary purpose of pruning vegetables is to create a room or allow the best parts of the plant to grow well to increase or improve the fruitfulness. There are various ways to prune suckers. Remove suckers when they're small by pinching them off or snipping them with pruners. This will prevent fungal diseases and improve the overall quality of the fruit. Determinate tomatoes need no pruning other than removing all suckers below the first flower cluster, because pruning won’t affect their fruit size or plant vigor. If you decide to prune, it's really a very simple process. Pruning your tomato plants will reduce the number of stems and leaves on the plant. Prune each stem to about the same length. Common indeterminate tomatoes include Better Boy, Cherokee Purple and San Marzano. That little shoot is known as a sucker (above). Tomato Pruning Tools The one and only tool that you need for pruning tomatoes is a pruner (a.k.a. If there are any flowers on the plant, remove them. These tricks will protect young tomato plants so that an early harvest is possible. How to Prune Tomatoes and Disease Prevention. On indeterminate plants, remove all leaves underneath the first fruit cluster. This will allow for the wounds from the pruning to heal cleanly and will reduce the chances of the plant being infected by disease. Learn how to prune your apple tree so you can reap a bountiful harvest. Determinate tomatoes form a bush that usually tops out between 3 and 5 feet. Unpruned foliage will eventually grow into new branches that will form fruit, but most experienced growers advise that tomatoes should be pruned to not only produce larger fruit earlier in the season but also to protect the plants against pest and disease problems. Remove leaves below the first cluster of tomatoes to help reduce disease on tomato plants. On indeterminate plants, remove all suckers that form between ground level and the second flower cluster. Learn how to prune tomato plants—and why you should do it. Warnings. All of the leaves will not receive the needed sunlight and the plants will run a high risk of disease. Get video instructions about kitchens, bathrooms, remodeling, flooring, painting and more. garden clippers). Pruning tomato plants can improve your crops, and even extend the harvest season. Cutting thick suckers creates open wounds on a tomato that are easily attacked by pests and diseases. We love to DIY. Colleen Vanderlinden is a freelance writer and the author of Edible Gardening for the Midwest. Lots of leaves also give pests like the tomato hornworm plenty of hiding places. Remove suckers when they’re smaller than a pencil width. Because determinate plants develop all of their fruit at one time, pruning may cause you to sacrifice tomatoes for no reason. If your goal is to maximize the harvest, prune suckers sparingly. Suckers are new sprouts that spring forth from the crotch of existing branches. This Latin American fruit comes in thousands of varieties. Most disease and fungus in the tomato plant comes from air borne spores passing by your plant and landing on the nice moist leaves. That way, all the leaves have ample access to sunlight. If the leaves are covered, they won’t get any sunlight and will struggle to survive. Common determinate tomatoes include Rutgers, Celebrity and Bush Early Girl. The extra leaves reduce air flow through the plant, which can lead to disease outbreaks. Indeterminate tomato plants, on the other hand, just keep growing and growing and produce fruit until the first frost. One technique that actually helps improve tomato plant yield is pruning. If left alone, a sucker forms a large stem that flowers and bears tomatoes. Tomato pruning objectives: Prune to create one to four strong stems. Using a sharp, clean pair of pruning shears, snip these small sucker branches off. You love to DIY. How to Prune Tomatoes at Planting: Start by removing any lower leaves before planting so that you can bury the plant deep into the soil. Start by removing the first few branches early on. Improving The Fruit Quality . How to Prune Tomatoes If you decide to prune, it's really a very simple process. If you do prune tomatoes, the plant will produce fewer flowers because of fewer suckers. Ensure healthy, successful tomato plants in your vegetable garden by planting half or more under the soil in a trench. Prune the lower leaves (under the first flower cluster) from both determinate and indeterminate tomatoes. How to Prune Big Tomato Plants? For larger shoots, the mini branch can be snapped off by placing the index finger and thumb around … A tomato tree in Epcot's Land Pavilion at Walt Disney World broke records in 2016 when it produced a one-year harvest of 32,000 tomatoes. Get the most out of your plant with these two simple maintenance practices. In Your Words: 9 Tomato Planting and Growing Tips to Try, Plant Tomatoes in Trenches for Better Results. Plants tend to ripen their fruit all at once, which makes them a great choice for canning or making salsa or sauce. Determinate Versus Indeterminate Tomatoes, 3 Tomato Plant Problems and How to Prevent Them, Identifying and Controlling Early Blight on Tomato Plants. © 2020 Discovery or its subsidiaries and affiliates. As the plant continues to grow and fill out, you can continue to prune up to get to the full height of open space. How to prune tomato suckers. The Spruce uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Prune tomatoes once a week routinely and twice a week during heavy growing seasons. Pruning is a chore that can be done while watering or weeding and results in healthier indeterminate tomato plants and bigger fruit—with very little effort. When it comes to pruning tomato plants, it’s all about clearing space to promote better air circulation, provide more light, and keep pests and disease at bay. On the other hand, if your plant produces fewer tomatoes, the fruit may grow larger. If left alone, a sucker forms a large stem that flowers and bears tomatoes. If you are growing determinate tomatoes, you don't want to prune. University of New Hampshire Extension. Pruning tomato suckers on indeterminates helps produce healthier, tastier, more abundant fruit. Once the plant starts bearing fruit, you’ll want to allow all of the plants energy into ripening those tomatoes. This will also result in a tomato plant that quickly outgrows its space in the garden. Plants that grow upwards with a central stem, called indeterminate tomatoes, do need pruning, whilst bush or tumbling varieties do not need pruning. This helps keep the commonly huge vines in control, and it encourages the plant to produce several large tomatoes instead of lots of foliage and many smaller tomatoes. Fewer flowers means fewer tomatoes. Let's get together. Doc shows you how to prune your tomatoes to help prevent against diseases. Some controversy exists over whether or not tomato plants should be pruned, and the reality is that if you don't, it will not cause problems. You must prune your tomato plants once in a week or whenever your tomatoes are extremely vigorous.15 minutes is quite enough to spend time in your garden. The need to prune tomato plants depends on the type of tomato plant it is. Plants tolerate late blight without reducing yields. Removing Bottom Branches And Foliage Indeterminate tomatoes are tall and vining, and plants need substantial stakes or tall cages. 2. Also add a thick mulch layer beneath tomato plants to keep diseases that live in soil from splashing onto lower leaves during summer storms. Disregarding the pruning stage will also prevent more fruit from growing. 1  If left unpruned, these suckers will eventually grow into full-sized branches—adding lots of foliage and, eventually, a few fruits. Five simple reasons: To get the most out of your pruning, you have to know what kind of tomato you’re growing: indeterminate or determinate. Here are two tried and true ways. 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