Pruning the plants may discourage the development of soil-borne fungal diseases in the plant.
Controlling Size
Pruning is a good way to control the size of tomato plants growing in containers.
Otherwise, a vigorous tomato vine can outgrow its pot.
The Spruce / Adriana Sanchez
Ideally, choose compact tomato varieties for planting in containers to minimize pruning.
Pruning Indeterminate vs. Determinate Tomatoes
Not all types of tomatoes need to be pruned.
Learning whether you havedeterminate or indeterminate tomatoescan help you decide.
The Spruce / Michele Lee
Determinate Tomatoes
Determinate tomatoes, often called bush tomatoes, do not need pruning.
These varieties grow to a fixed mature size, usually around 4 to 5 feet.
Pruning controls the vine’s size and encourages larger tomatoes instead of more foliage and smaller tomatoes.
The Spruce / Michele Lee
When to Prune Tomato Plants
There are early-season ripening, midseason ripening, and late-season ripening tomatoes.
The timing may be around June or July.
Continue pruning once or twice more every two weeks until harvest time.
The Spruce / Autumn Wood
It’s also best to prune in the early morning on a dry day so wounds can easily heal.
Unpruned plants will also quickly outgrow their space in the garden.
Here aresome mistakes to avoid.
Harsh, intense sunlight and heat may scald tomatoes.
Prune around the plant, but keep leaves that lightly shade the growing fruit.
Pruning With Dirty Tools
Clean yourgardening toolsafter each use to avoid spreading bacteria and fungi between plants.
Wipe your pruning scissors or shears with 70 percent isopropyl alcohol before pruning the next plant.
Not Removing Lower Leaves
In addition to suckers, remove the lowest leaves on your tomato plants.
Lower, older leaves may have picked up fungal spores from the ground, so removal is important.
Also, remove any yellowing or unhealthy leaves from any location on the plant when pruning.
Letting Suckers Grow Before Pruning
Leaving suckers on the plant for too long can cause problems.
Also remove lower leaves that are touching the ground.
If you know the cultivar, look up whether it is indeterminate.
Determinate plants are bushy, while indeterminate are vining.
Indeterminate tomato plants continue growing and producing fruits until the first frost, while determinate stop growing and producing.
Taking out too many leaves or too much of a tomato plant can stress it out.
Never remove more than one-third of the plant at one time.
Tomato Pruning.University of Wisconsin-Madison Extension.
Pruning Tomato Plants.University of New Hampshire Extension.
Pruning, Training, and Supporting Tomatoes.The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station.
