They generally reach a certain height and stop growing, setting fruit once all of their branches have finished growing, all at one time. There is no need to prune determinate tomato plants as they already have a compact habit. It is important to trim away these suckers early on as they compete with the main stem for nutrients. If not pruned, they actually morph into another main stem with branches, flowers, and more suckers.Īlthough you may get more fruit if you let the sucker grow – the fruit will be considerably smaller. A close up view of a tomato sucker emerging between the main stem and branches. Tomato suckers, also known as side shoots, appear in the crotch between the stem and a branch. Pruning allows for adequate air circulation and creates a healthy, compact and productive plant. If you don’t trim tomatoes they will become a heavy shrubby, multi-stemmed plant that will fall over once they have fruited.Īdditionally, when fruit and foliage are on the ground they are more prone to disease and insect attack. Related Reading: 10 Pro Tips For Growing Tasty & Abundant Tomato Plants Why it is important to prune tomato plants That’s right, when and how you prune your tomato plant has a great deal to do with what kind of plant you will grow and the harvest you will reap. What you might be missing in your tomato care regimen is a really good pruning method.

Or perhaps your plant buckles over under the weight of too much fruit? Have you ever selected and planted a beautiful young tomato plant only to find it growing erratically and under-producing?

Trimming tomato plants download