Want bigger, healthier tomatoes?
Pruning is the key!
Learn how to prune your tomato plants the right way and watch them thrive.
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Is Pruning Tomatoes Really Important?

Some tomato plants thrive without any pruning whatsoever. Despite this, pruning can enhance garden appearance by preventing plants from becoming tangled and messy.
Removing dense foliage can improve air circulation and light penetration. This helps prevent plant diseases.
Pruning also redirects the plant’s energy towards producing sweeter tomatoes. Damaged leaves and branches should be cut off to prevent diseases or pests from spreading.
Soil-borne diseases can be mitigated by trimming parts of the plant that touch the ground or by using stakes.
Identify Your Tomato Type (Determinate vs Indeterminate)
Indeterminate tomatoes keep growing and producing fruit until the frost stops them. They can get quite tall, sometimes over 10 feet, so they need support like stakes or trellises.
Determinate tomatoes, on the other hand, reach a set height, usually around 3 to 4 feet, and then stop growing. These are perfect for small gardens or container gardening because of their compact and bushy nature.
Key Differences
Height
- Indeterminate: Up to 10 feet or more.
- Determinate: Typically 3 to 4 feet.
Growth Pattern
- Indeterminate: Continuous growth and fruiting until frost.
- Determinate: Growth stops after reaching a certain height.
Pruning Needs
- Indeterminate: Requires routine pruning for better airflow and fruit production.
- Determinate: Generally needs less pruning due to limited growth.
Pruning Determinate Tomatoes
Removing Damaged Stems
It’s important to keep an eye on your tomato plants for any damaged stems, yellowing leaves, or unusual spots. Brown spots on stems and leaves are particularly concerning. Cutting away these affected parts can help stop any potential infections from spreading to other plants. After pruning, make sure to get rid of the cut parts properly and check what’s causing the problem. Fungicides or pesticides may be necessary for fungal infections or pests.
Pruning Suckers Below Flower Buds
For determinate tomatoes, removing suckers below the first flower bud is crucial. These suckers, which grow at a 45-degree angle between the main stem and horizontal branches, can sap the plant’s energy if left unchecked. Pruning above the flower bud can reduce your overall yield. Young suckers can be pinched off easily, while thicker stems may require pruning shears. This practice improves airflow and ensures the plant efficiently uses its limited growing season.
Trimming Stems Touching the Soil
Trimming any plant parts that touch the soil can prevent several issues. Low-growing stems near the plant’s base are particularly vulnerable. These stems can introduce soil-borne pests and cause rotting due to moisture. Trimming these stems at their base or tying them up can mitigate these risks, extending the lifespan and health of your tomato plants. This also applies to any leaves that have come into contact with the soil.
Pruning Indeterminate Tomatoes
1. Remove Ailing or Yellowing Branches
Branches that are yellowing or damaged take away essential energy that could be used for healthy fruit production. They make the plant more vulnerable to pests and diseases, weakening it overall.
Inspect the tomato plants for any branches that are damaged, yellowing, or show signs of disease. Continuous monitoring over several days or weeks is important to catch disease symptoms early and take action before they spread.
2. Eliminate Unwanted Suckers
Indeterminate tomato plants tend to produce several suckers throughout the growing season. These sucker branches can compete with the main stem for vital nutrients and water.
It’s advisable to remove the suckers as they start appearing to control plant density and direct energy towards producing fruit. While some suckers can be allowed to grow into new branches, keeping too many will diminish fruit yield. Pinch them off or use clean scissors for removal.
3. Thin Out Excessive Leaf Growth
While bountiful leaf growth might seem like a good sign, excessive foliage can be problematic. Dense leaf growth hampers air circulation and sunlight penetration, potentially leading to fungal infections.
Removing some of the excess leaves can help improve airflow and ensure sunlight reaches the lower sections of the plant. Adequate sunlight is crucial for fruit set and ripening.
4. Support or Prune Low-Growing Branches
With their unlimited growth potential, indeterminate tomatoes often become top-heavy, causing stems to bend or break. Supporting these plants with cages, stakes, or other structures is essential.
Branches growing close to the ground can easily be infected by pests and fungi. They should either be pruned or staked for better growth and to prevent potential issues. These lower branches don’t receive enough sunlight, making pruning the better option.
5. Top Off the Plant
As the growing season comes to an end, indeterminate tomatoes can grow quite tall and produce more blooms. Topping the plant, or pinching off the tip of the main stem, can be necessary.
This process helps redirect the plant’s energy toward ripening the remaining fruits of the season.