The Easy Tip For Pruning Tomato Plants Like A Pro
Are your tomato plants running wild with growth, but you're not seeing a huge output despite the size? Then it may be time to prune those suckers. No, we aren't being facetious or punny; suckers are a part of the tomato plant. They're the branches that form between the main stem and the main branches, and pruning them back can help your plant become stronger and healthier. Pruning them like a pro is actually quite easy. It just involves knowing when — and where — to prune.
You should start pruning as soon as the first flowers appear on the plant, which usually happens in late June or early July. To prune suckers, either pinch them close to the stem, or use scissors or pruners to remove them as close to the stem as you can. You should leave the first sucker below the lowest flower or fruit cluster. It's the strongest one on the plant and should be left so it can grow and produce fruit as a second stem.
Continue to prune like this every 10 to 14 days, but stop about one or two weeks before a predicted fruit harvest; this gives the plant time to produce a canopy that protects the fruit from the sun. Be sure to avoid pruning while wet (a common tomato pruning mistake); it can spread fungal spores.
Why you need to regularly prune tomato plants
A garden tomato can go from perfect to ruined if you ignore pruning. Cutting back those tiny stems gives a chance for the plant to grow larger, better quality tomatoes because you're helping the plant redirect energy back into growing fruit instead of growing stems. Pruning also helps create airflow around the tomato plant, which reduces humidity that can lead to fungal or bacterial diseases in the plant. It even can help prolong the harvest season.
If you leave the suckers, even small ones, they can produce their own leaves, flowers, fruits, and even more suckers that, as the name suggests, suck out energy that would go into making ripe, juicy tomatoes. Tasty tomatoes are truly a little bite of summer, so it's worth it to put in the effort and learn how to prune tomato plants for bigger, healthier fruit.