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Plus, the benefits of trimming tomato plants
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Pruning is an important part of keeping your tomato plant productive and healthy, and fortunately, it’s super easy to get started! In this article, we’re providing the ultimate guide on pruning tomatoes so you get the largest, juiciest fruit. We also talked to plant and gardening specialists about why you should prune and the best type of soil to grow tomatoes in.
How to Trim Tomato Plants for the Best Yield
Prune the suckers (the small shoots between the main stem and branches) below the lowest flower cluster on your plant. You can leave 1-2 thicker suckers near the top to maximize growth and fruit production. Remove any low, yellowing, or diseased leaves, and top your plant 30 days before the first expected frost.
Steps
Section 1 of 4:
How to Prune Tomatoes
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Determine your variety and only prune indeterminate tomatoes. According to edible gardening expert Erin Hostetler, “you don’t want to prune determinate tomatoes...because you [reduce] your yields by doing that.” Determinate tomatoes only grow to a certain height and are more compact, while indeterminate tomatoes keep growing throughout the season and are more vine-like. [1] X Research source Here are some common varieties of each:
- Indeterminate: Beefsteak, Big Boy, Brandywine, Sungold, Sweet Million, Cherokee Purple, and most cherry, heirloom, and dwarf varieties.
- Determinate: Roma, Rutgers, Early Girl, Patio, Zebra Cherry, Celebrity, San Marzano Nano, Amish Paste, Marglobe, Amelia, Better Bush, Heinz Classic, and Mountain Pride.
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Remove all suckers below the first flower cluster. A “sucker” is a tiny branch sprouting between the main stalk of the tomato plant and an established branch, usually growing at a 45° angle from the plant. If the sucker is less than 2 inches long, you can simply grab the base between your thumb and forefinger and pinch it off. If it’s longer, use sanitized garden shears to make a clean cut as close to the main stem as possible. [2] X Research source
- It’s best to remove suckers when they’re small. Once the suckers grow thicker than a pencil, they will leave a large wound behind when removed. [3] X Research source
- You want to remove all the suckers below the lowest flower cluster so they don’t take away energy from fruit production. Removing the suckers ensures that most of the nutrients are sent to the fruits, instead of being wasted on the growing tips. [4] X Research source
- If you live in a warmer zone, however, follow the “Missouri pruning” method and pinch off the leaflets on the end of each sucker, leaving the 2 base leaflets in place. They can help shade the fruit and prevent sunscald.
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Leave up to 4 suckers on the tomato plant to increase your yield (optional). If you have the space and support for a multi-vine system, you can keep a few suckers higher up on your plant. These suckers will act as secondary stems to support more growth and fruit. [5] X Research source Generally, people keep 1-2 thicker suckers near the top of their plant, but you can leave up to 4 suckers—any more than that will yield smaller fruit.
- If you decide to keep a sucker, treat it like a second main stem. Prune its own suckers regularly and make sure it's supported with a stake or tie.
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Trim lower leaves that touch the ground to prevent disease. Removing the lower 6-12 inches of leaves can prevent blight and soil-borne diseases from splashing onto your plant when raindrops hit the ground. [6] X Research source Just bend each leaf upwards and then downwards until you hear a soft snap. If the leaves only bend and do not snap, use a sharp knife or pruning shears to cut them off close to the stem. [7] X Research source
- If you live in a warmer zone, you can keep some lower leaves on your plant to shade the ground and prevent sunscald. Just remove damaged or yellow leaves, as well as leaves that touch the soil.
- If your plant is in a humid environment, such as a greenhouse, remove everything below the first flower cluster to improve ventilation. Humidity can make it easier for sicknesses to flourish, plus cause the wounds created while pruning to dry up more slowly, making the plant vulnerable. [8] X Research source
EXPERT TIPPlant & Gardening SpecialistOlivia Choong is a Plant and Gardening Specialist and the Owner of The Tender Gardener. With more than six years of experience, she specializes in gardening, permaculture, and self-sufficient and low-impact living practices. Her work has been featured in media outlets such as The Straits Times and Channel NewsAsia (CNA). Olivia holds a Bachelor of Mass Communications in PR and Journalism from Murdoch University.Plant your tomatoes in well drained soil. Soil that’s heavy in clay is not suitable for growing tomatoes. If your soil gets waterlogged and compacted, you can add compost to it. You can also add horticultural grit to improve drainage.
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Top your plant about 30 days before the first expected frost. To speed up ripening of the remaining fruit, you need to “top” your plant, or remove the growing tips of each main stem. This forces your plant to stop making flowers and redirect its energy into growing larger fruit. Just take clean gardening shears and cut right above the flower cluster. [9] X Research source
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Expert Q&A
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QuestionHow do you successfully grow tomatoes in pots?Monique Capanelli is a Plant Specialist and the Owner and Designer for Articulture Designs, an innovative design firm and boutique in Austin, Texas. With over 15 years of experience, Monique specializes in interior botanical design, living walls, event decor, and sustainable landscape design. She attended the University of Texas at Austin. Monique is a Certified Permaculture Designer. She provides plant and botanical design experiences, from small gifts to entire transformations, to shoppers as well as commercial clients including Whole Foods Market and The Four Seasons.
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QuestionWhen should I start pruning?Andrew Carberry is a Food Systems Expert and the Senior Program Associate at the Wallace Center at Winrock International in Little Rock, Arkansas. He has worked in food systems since 2008 and has experience working on farm-to-school projects, food safety programs, and working with local and state coalitions in Arkansas. He is a graduate of the College of William and Mary and holds a Masters degree in public health and nutrition from the University of Tennessee.You can start pruning safely after the first set of flowers appears. Some growers like to prune the bottom set of limbs when transplanting tomatoes out to the field.
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QuestionShould my tomato plants be trimmed if they are brown and have dead leaves?Andrew Carberry is a Food Systems Expert and the Senior Program Associate at the Wallace Center at Winrock International in Little Rock, Arkansas. He has worked in food systems since 2008 and has experience working on farm-to-school projects, food safety programs, and working with local and state coalitions in Arkansas. He is a graduate of the College of William and Mary and holds a Masters degree in public health and nutrition from the University of Tennessee.Yes. You should trim off any dead, diseased or broken limbs on your tomato plants.
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Tips
- Make sure the indeterminate tomatoes are tied to supports after flowering occurs. Otherwise, the vine will grow along the ground and won't produce healthy tomatoes.Thanks
- In most cases, you should not prune determinate tomatoes. However, you can remove dead or yellowing leaves to prevent disease, or lightly trim the center to improve airflow.Thanks
- Capanelli recommends planting your tomatoes in Fox Farm Ocean Forest Soil because it “has worm castings in it, which are magic for container gardening in any kind of blooming or high demand producing plant.”Thanks
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Warnings
- If you find disease on your tomato plant, disinfect all of your tools with rubbing alcohol, especially garden gloves and pruning shears. [14] X Trustworthy Source University of California Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources Extension program of the University of California system devoted to educating and improving local communities Go to sourceThanks
- If you smoke, wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water, and disinfect your pruning equipment before handling tomato plants. [15] X Research sourceThanks
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References
- ↑ https://www.gcfb.org/pruning-tomato-plants/
- ↑ https://www.gcfb.org/pruning-tomato-plants/
- ↑ https://rvpadmin.cce.cornell.edu/uploads/doc_346.pdf
- ↑ https://hort.extension.wisc.edu/articles/tomato-pruning/
- ↑ https://youtu.be/q4IUhZMA9O0?t=515
- ↑ https://durham.ces.ncsu.edu/2020/06/pruning-for-healthier-more-productive-tomatoes/
- ↑ https://rvpadmin.cce.cornell.edu/uploads/doc_346.pdf
- ↑ https://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheet/tomato-diseases-disorders/#:~:text=The+fungus+is+most+active,some+weeds+related+to+tomato https://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheet/tomato-diseases-disorders/
- ↑ https://www.uvm.edu/extension/news/how-prune-tomato-plants
- ↑ https://rvpadmin.cce.cornell.edu/uploads/doc_346.pdf
- ↑ https://hort.extension.wisc.edu/articles/tomato-pruning/
- ↑ https://hort.extension.wisc.edu/articles/tomato-pruning/
- ↑ https://rvpadmin.cce.cornell.edu/uploads/doc_346.pdf
- ↑ https://ucanr.edu/site/uc-master-gardeners-napa-county/tomato-pruning
- ↑ https://yardandgarden.extension.iastate.edu/how-to/pruning-tomatoes-home-garden
About This Article
Article Summary
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You only need to worry about pruning your tomato plant if it’s an indeterminate variety, meaning it continues to grow and produce fruit until it’s killed by frost. If your tomato plant is a determinate variety, meaning it has a shorter, predetermined lifecycle, there’s no need to prune it. If you’re growing an indeterminate variety, remove any flowers from the plant until it’s between 12 and 18 inches (30 and 45 cm) tall, which will send more energy to the roots. You should also pinch off any suckers that grow beneath the first flower cluster on the plant. Suckers are small shoots that grow where the leaf stems meet the main stem on the plant. Removing the suckers will direct more energy to the fruit. If the suckers are too thick to pinch off, use clean pruning shears to snip them off instead. Avoid pruning suckers above the first flower cluster since they will eventually flower and produce fruit. To learn other ways you can tell if your tomato plants are ready to be pruned, keep reading!
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Reader Success Stories
- "I don't have much experience in growing fruits or vegetables. I didn't know there were determinate and indeterminate varieties of tomatoes, for instance. Your wiki article was very informative and gave specific information about when and why to prune the plant. I've had a cherry tomato plant grow up to 7 feet high, and I had a hard time finding something to support the plant. I didn't kow that I could top off the plant late in the season. What I found especially thoughtful is that when I printed the information, the colored pictures were not included, thus saving myself printer ink." ..." more
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"I don't have much experience in growing fruits or vegetables. I didn't know there were determinate and indeterminate varieties of tomatoes, for instance. Your wiki article was very informative and gave specific information about when and why to prune the plant. I've had a cherry tomato plant grow up to 7 feet high, and I had a hard time finding something to support the plant. I didn't kow that I could top off the plant late in the season. What I found especially thoughtful is that when I printed the information, the colored pictures were not included, thus saving myself printer ink."
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"I pull suckers off my tomato plants because I once heard that was something I ought to do. I didn't know if that was good advice or just a gardening myth, however, until reading the article on pruning tomatoes. Helpful to know it's actually a good practice."
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"When and how to remove the lower leaves from my tomato plants. Also, the tip about how to deal with a sucker which has grown thicker than a pencil and not to remove it - I have removed one from my plant, so I may have caused a problem; I will see later."
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"I'm a first-time tomato grower, and I seem to have chosen one of the more difficult types to try. This article answered quite a lot of my questions, and hopefully, by using the tips, I will be able to get things back under control again. Thank you."
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"Yes, it helped in two ways: How to avoid or diminish splitting and that shading is needed in extreme sun conditions, like Florida. This will not only help with tomatoes, but also with my cucumbers, which are suffering from too much sun. Thank you."
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