Did you know that one of the best ways to make sure your tomato plants stay healthy, strong and productive this summer is to prune them? And that the earlier you get started on this simple task, the better your plants will perform?
Believe it or not, pruning can pay huge dividends for tomato plants. Not just by pruning off suckers and unruly branches, but by also pruning up underneath your tomato plants as well. And yes, even when need be – topping them off as well!
Left to grow as they please, tomato plants will morph into a tangled mess of stems, shoots and leaves. And that mess is more than just an eyesore. It also robs the plant of the air, light and the nutrients it needs to produce more blooms – and ripen more fruit.
Why You Need To Prune Tomato Plants Early
Tomato plants require a lot of nutrients to grow and produce. Unfortunately, there are a limited amount of resources in the soil available to feed a plant’s appetite for those nutrients. And when plants become overgrown with too many stems, branches and foliage, those resources are wasted on maintaining all of that growth. And more importantly, not on producing tomatoes!
Of even more importance, tomato plants need oxygen, light and water to thrive. And when a plant becomes overgrown, it can block all three of those crucial needs. Last but not least, an overgrown mass of foliage is also an open invitation to pests and disease.
All of that leaf growth allows insects to easily hide while foraging. And the thicker the foliage, the more moisture can collect and remain to harbor and spread mold, mildew and more.
The good news? Pruning can help eliminate all of the above issues and more – and all by simply pruning three key areas of a tomato plant. Pruning, as an added benefit, also helps make tying up your plants easier than ever! See our article: How To Tie Tomato Plants – The Secret To Tying Up Tomatoes
How To Prune Tomato Plants – Three Key Areas To Prune For Healthier, More Productive Tomato Plants
Clearing Space At The Bottom
When it comes to pruning tomato plants, the most important task of all is to clear the stems and leaves from the very bottom of your tomato plants. Branches and foliage at the bottom can create a lot of issues for the plant, and the gardener as well.
For starters, many of the diseases that affect tomatoes, such as blight, come from the soil. And foliage that touches the ground or that is close to the ground can easily have the deadly spores splashed on to their surface directly from the soil.
But clearing away the bottom area of plants helps with other issues as well. It also allows air to more easily circulate throughout the plants, helping to keep plants from mold and mildew. All while promoting ripening of the fruit at a much faster pace.
In addition, removing bottom branches makes it harder for crawling garden pests to have an easy ride up onto plants. Even better, it gives a gardener room to easily water, weed, and maintain their plants right at the root zone.
Listen In To Our Podcast Below On Pruning Tomatoes For Even More Valuable Info!
How High To Prune Up – Why You Need To Prune Tomato Plants Early & How To Do It!
So how much do you need to prune up from the soil level? For determinate varieties that tend to grow shorter and bushier, a good rule of thumb is to clear the bottom 10 to 12 inches of space by the time they reach full maturity.
For indeterminate and larger tomato plants, you can prune even more. These larger plants need more space to really allow air, light and circulation in. For that, prune as they grow to a final height of 12 to 18 inches of clearing underneath at full maturity.
Pruning Suckers – Why You Need To Prune Tomato Plants Early & How To Do It
Now it’s time to tackle the subject of tomato suckers. Suckers are the small shoots that sprout from where a stem and branch connect. They form right at the “V” area between the two. So why prune these small starts off? Because they serve little purpose to the plant.
Suckers rarely produce good blooms or fruit. But they still use the same amount of energy from the plant as they grow. And that energy could and should be going toward more production instead. In addition, suckers also block air and light as they grow.
Because of this, it’s important to remove these renegade branches as soon as they appear. Most gardeners simply pinch off the small growths with their fingers or fingernails. In fact, that is exactly where the term “pinching off” comes from. If need be, the small branches can also be removed quite easily with sharp scissors or small pruners.
Be on the lookout for suckers in the early growing stages of your tomato plants. The quicker you remove them, the more resources your plant will have for bloom and flower production.
Create Air Space In The Middle – How To Prune Tomato Plants
Beyond pruning up under plants and removing suckers, the last pruning chore is to remove a few select branches and foliage in the middle of your tomato plant. For this type of pruning, it’s all about clearing space to promote better air circulation, provide more light, and to keep pests and disease at bay.
As the season progresses, remove excess foliage from the middle of the plant to allow air and light to reach the middle of the plant. There is no need for massive pruning in the center section, just a branch or two to open up the middle.
Also, be sure to trim back and eliminate wild branches that shoot off to the side or grow into the next row. These branches use up a lot of the plant’s energy. They also are easily damaged and broken off in storms.
In addition, always remove any damaged branches as soon as possible. Plants use up a lot of valuable resources attempting to heal and mend these branches.
As for when to prune your tomato plants, it’s best to prune in the early morning or evening to avoid the heat of the day. Plants are at their highest stress level during the hottest portions of the day, and pruning during this period can cause unneeded stress to the plant.
Either way, pruning tomato plants early and pinching off suckers is a sure way to a healthier and more productive crop. So get out in the garden early this year and make sure your plants are in shape to grow your best crop ever!
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This Is My Garden is a garden website created by gardeners, for gardeners. Jim and Mary Competti have been writing gardening, DIY and recipe articles and books and speaking for over 15 years from their 46 acre Ohio farm. They publish three articles every week, 52 weeks a year. Sign up today to follow via email, or follow along!