Tiny tomato seedlings can vigorously turn into huge bushes in no time. In fact, they’ve even been known to bend cages and pull stakes out of the ground!
However, when it comes to growing tomatoes, less is more. Fewer leaves mean air circulates better and leaves dry quicker, reducing the risk of disease.
Plants with less density direct energy toward producing bigger fruit. Plus, tomatoes often ripen earlier after a good pruning, allowing you to enjoy your harvest sooner.
Here are some helpful tips for pruning your tomatoes this season.
Pruning 101
1. Find out if your tomato plant is a determinate or indeterminate variety. Determinate varieties often thrive with less attention because they only produce one crop of tomatoes. Indeterminate varieties, on the other hand, require frequent maintenance because they produce tomatoes all season.
2. Pinch or snip flowers until plants are 12-18” tall. When the first green fruit appears, remove all suckers, ie leaves beneath that cluster.
3.Feed throughout the season with Tomato-tone.
4. As the plant continues to fruit and flower, chose a few strong stems to produce tomatoes and prune the rest. Though this results in less fruit, tomatoes will be bigger and juicier.
5. Continue removing unnecessary suckers and flowers at least once a week during peak growing season. Eliminate suckers while they are still small enough to remove by hand. If you need to use a tool, be sure to use a sharp pruner blade to make a clean cut.
Grow Up, Not Out
Tie tomato plants to a support such as a stake or a trellis to promote upward growth. This keeps tomatoes off the ground, keeping pests and diseases at bay. Vertically grown tomatoes are ultimately easier to prune because unnecessary suckers and leaves are more visible.
Though plants may now be better protected from insects and disease, staked and pruned plants may bemore susceptible to blossom end rot and sunscald. Get a better harvest than you ever thought possible by giving tomatoes what they need!
FAQs
Removing suckers (new shoots that develop in the leaf axils) reduces potential yields, but increases airflow. Leave the sucker just below the first flower cluster (remove all other suckers below that one), and allow all suckers above the first flower cluster to grow.
How to prune tomato plants for more yield? ›
Removing suckers (new shoots that develop in the leaf axils) reduces potential yields, but increases airflow. Leave the sucker just below the first flower cluster (remove all other suckers below that one), and allow all suckers above the first flower cluster to grow.
How to get more tomatoes and less foliage? ›
Tomato plants naturally tend to produce lots of leaves and relatively fewer fruits. However, balancing leaf and fruit production by pruning tomato plants is easy. Not only will trimming off excess foliage lead to more tomatoes per plant, but the fruit produced will be larger and of higher quality.
What parts of tomato plants should be pruned? ›
As a tomato plant matures, its lower leaves begin to yellow. Pinch or prune yellowed leaves to prevent disease, improve the tomato plant's appearance, and help the plant keep its energy focused on fruit production.
What tomatoes should not be pruned? ›
Determinate tomatoes will grow to their mature size, then stop. These types of tomatoes do not require pruning to thrive. Once they reach full size, they'll start all their fruit around the same time.
How do you get the highest yield on tomatoes? ›
Whether you have them in rows in your garden or growing them in raised beds, they need direct sunlight. Don't plant them next to a tree line or shaded areas and you should be good to go! One of the biggest issues people face when gardening is over watering. Tomatoes do best when they have 1-2 inches of water PER WEEK.
Can you prune tomatoes too much? ›
Rootstock tomatoes don't like getting pruned too much, as it will limit their growth and fruit bearing. This big, bushy, vigorous type of tomato likes to protect its fruit by setting it in the inner foliage. As the fruit are so small they can quickly burn & shrivel, I like to keep plenty of foliage around them.
Should I cut the bottom leaves off my tomato plants? ›
To help improve airflow and cut down on the chance of disease, remove the leaves along the bottom 12 inches of the stems of indeterminate tomato plants.
What can I do to perk up my tomato plants? ›
Tips for Growing Wilt-Free Tomatoes
- Grow tomatoes in full sun. ...
- Select a plant location with well-drained soil. ...
- Provide 1 to 2 inches of water per week. ...
- Provide nutrients by incorporating well-decomposed compost in the planting area or fertilize plants with a commercial vegetable plant product.
If you're faced with tomato plants not setting fruit, the best thing to do is to keep the plants healthy and fertilized with plant food, such as Miracle-Gro® Shake 'n Feed® Tomato, Fruit & Vegetable Plant Food. The plants will start to produce again when the weather becomes favorable.
Removing Too Many Leaves
Never prune away more than a third of the plant's foliage, especially during a hot, dry summer. Harsh, intense sunlight and heat may scald tomatoes. Prune around the plant but keep leaves that lightly shade the growing fruit.
Are better boy tomatoes determinate or indeterminate? ›
Better Boy tomatoes are indeterminate, which means they should be grown in cages or staked tepee-style. Because of their large size, 5-8 feet (1.5-2.5 m.) in height, Better Boy tomatoes are not suited to containers.
Do you prune better bush tomatoes? ›
The short answer is yes, and no. It depends on what kind of tomato you are growing. If it's determinate then no pruning is required, but indeterminate tomatoes must be kept in check. This is the key piece of information to look for on the tag when you purchase your tomato start or seed.
How do you prune tomatoes for maximum yield? ›
If your goal is to maximize the harvest, prune suckers sparingly. A good compromise is to remove all suckers that grow below the first flower cluster. This helps keep the main supporting stem strong, but it doesn't remove upper suckers that will eventually produce flowers and fruit.
Should cherry tomatoes be pruned? ›
Cut back shoots and remove non-fruiting branches to speed up ripening. Avoid pruning when cherry tomatoes are dormant or about to bloom. The optimal time is after the flowering stage, as the plant gears up for new growth.
What is the best tool to prune tomato plants? ›
Essential Tools For Pruning Tomatoes
Most tomato plant owners use bypass pruners because the scissor-like blades of bypass pruning shears maneuver easily in tight spaces between branches and make the cleanest cuts for live stems, reducing the damage to the plant.
How do you make tomato plants produce more fruit? ›
If you're wondering how to increase flowering in tomatoes, try increasing how much light they receive. Tomatoes need eight hours of daylight to flower. Sunlight gives your tomato plants the energy to produce fruit, so if your plant doesn't have enough sunlight, you're less likely to see tomatoes fruiting.
How many leaves should I take off my tomato plants? ›
How much foliage your tomatoes have will determine how many leaves you should remove. In order to maintain a healthy balance between vegetative growth and fruit production, it is typically advised that no more than 1/3 of the leaves be cut.
When should I prune my tomato plants? ›
Plants are usually ready to prune once they reach 12 to 18 inches in height.
