Tomato side shoots need to be pinched out regularly to keep the plant healthy
Image: Tomato 'Sungold' from Thompson & Morgan
Side shoots are removed from cordon variety tomato plants to help channel energy into the fruit, rather than wasting it on foliage. It’s a job to tackle at least once a week - the sooner the side shoots are pinched out, the less energy the plant will have wasted.
How and when to remove side shoots from tomato plants
As your tomato plant grows, long trusses of flowers will develop directly from the main stem. To make sure all the fruit has a chance to ripen, allow your plant to set about 4 or 5 trusses, then ‘stop’ the plant by removing the growing tip of the main stem.
If you’re growing a cordon variety, your plant will start to produce lots of side shoots once it has been ‘stopped’. Pinch out these side shoots or they will take energy away from the fruit. And keep tying the plant to a cane as it grows, or it might fall over or get damaged in the wind.
If you’re growing a bush variety, don’t remove the side shoots or you will reduce the plant’s crop.
When your tomatoes are ripe, gently pick them by pulling the fruit away from the stem. Be careful not to knock any of the other tomatoes off. By the middle of summer you should have beautiful, healthy, ripe tomatoes, bursting with flavour and ready to eat.
How to pinch out tomato side shoots - video guide
For more information on growing this popular fruit, visit our tomato hub page for a wealth of sowing, growing and care tips.
FAQs
Cordon (or indeterminate) tomatoes are vigorous, fast-growing plants that get very tall and need suitably tall supports, both in a greenhouse and outdoors. As they grow vertically, they take up very little ground space. But they need regular maintenance – watering, feeding, tying to supports and removing side-shoots.
When should I start pinching out side shoots on tomatoes? ›
Start pinching out your tomatoes once there are at least 6 sets of true leaves. You are aiming to cut back the side-shoots, rather than pinching from the top, because you want the main stem to keep striving upwards for a good while.
Do you pinch out side shoots on tumbling tomatoes? ›
Tumbling tomatoes are naturally self-branching and will normally cascade on their own, but can be encouraged by pinching out the growing tip once they reach 25-30cm. Keep well watered and feed weekly with seaweed extract once flowers form.
Do you remove side shoots from determinate tomatoes? ›
Determinate bush tomatoes do not need any pruning or pinching out! These plants usually only grow to one meter tall. They have dense branching and bear fruit on the side shoots. If you pinch out the side shoots, you will just reduce the plant's yield.
What happens if you don't pinch out tomatoes? ›
Now that you know how to pinch them out and also stop them, you can ensure most of the energy will go towards producing the trusses that in turn produce the fruit. Not doing this will mean you have a fantastically aromatic yet bushy plant that only produces tiny green unripe tomatoes by the end of the season.
Are used coffee grounds good for tomato plants? ›
It's definitely understandable why many believe coffee to be an excellent slow-release fertilizer for tomatoes. In theory, this should work. As the grounds are broken down in the soil, they will naturally release nutrients. They won't provide immediate nutrients, but over time, they will increase levels in the soil.
Are banana peels good for tomato plants? ›
Banana peels are also brimming with potassium, which is excellent for plants like tomatoes, peppers or flowers. “Banana peels also contain calcium, which prevents blossom end rot in tomatoes,” the Cape Gazette adds.
Which vegetable plants need pinching out? ›
Pinching your plants helps them put energy into ripening fruit, coaxes new growth, and increases yield. Learn how to pinch tomatoes, basil, peppers, and plants that can benefit from a mid-season pruning.
Do you pick out side shoots on cherry tomatoes? ›
What are side shoots and trusses. Tomato side shoots are young stems, the tomato plants trying to grow an other stem. These have to be removed throughout a growing season to reduce the tomato plants to one single stem growing. The tomato plant really want to make lots of side shoots.
Which plants should you pinch out? ›
What to Pinch. Any flowering annual with a branching habit can benefit from pinching, especially those classed as 'cut and come again' bloomers. Ageratum, carnation, calendula, chrysanthemum, godetia, marigold, snapdragon, sweetpea and sweet william can all benefit from pinching.
Determinate and Indeterminate
- Determinate varieties (including bush varieties) reach a certain plant height and then stop growing. ...
- Indeterminate varieties continue to grow and produce tomatoes all along the stems throughout the growing season.
Remove all leafy suckers beneath the first fruit cluster so they won't slow the development of the fruit. Suckers are the little shoots that form in the spot (called an axil) where the leaf stem attaches to the main growing stem. In northern regions, many gardeners go further, removing all suckers as they appear.
Should you cut the bottom branches off tomato plants? ›
As a general rule, I will trim at least several branches off both determinate and indeterminate tomatoes, so that the lowest several inches of the stems are bare. Trimming around the base of the plants limits the spread of disease and maximises air flow through the foliage, both of which are important for plant health.
Which tomato plants do you not prune? ›
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.
Do you remove side shoots from roma tomatoes? ›
The side shoots that grow out from the axis of the stem and leaf, need to be pinched off. These tomato plants will grow tall and need to be tied to canes or strings that are well secured in the greenhouse or tunnel.
Do you remove laterals from determinate tomatoes? ›
Determinate Tomatoes (dwarf)
Once they've finished fruiting, the plant won't continue to produce and will slowly decline in vigour, so it's best to remove them once they're done. On the plus side, you won't need to remove any laterals from determinate tomatoes.
Do I have determinate or indeterminate tomatoes? ›
Varieties especially suited to growing in pots, such as Patio and Better Bush, are determinate. Little or no pruning is needed. Indeterminate varieties continue to grow and produce tomatoes all along the stems throughout the growing season. Indeterminate plants need extra-tall supports of at least 5 feet.
