To Prune or Not to Prune Tomato Plants

by NorthernHomestead

to prune or not to prune tomato plants, gardening

There are two main varieties of tomato plants: Determinate and Indeterminate. The picture above is showing a determinate plant that is higher at the beginning of the season than the indeterminate next to it. In a month the determinate will be about double in width and the indeterminate double in height.

Determinate plants are bush type plants. They only grow to a certain height, produce their fruits, and die off. Determinate plants need a cage to support them. They grow suckers just like all tomatoes, but do not need to be pruned. The reason is that the suckers will also not get bigger then the plant is, and actually give you another crop, so do not prune determinate plants.

Indeterminate plants grow all season long. If all the suckers are left on, it will eventually be a huge bush too, with the difference that the suckers grow endlessly. So if they are not pruned, they definitely will need a huge cage. Some tomato growers like to cut indeterminate tomatoes back, so they stay small, and let the suckers grow to a limited height. That way it turns into a wide bush. If space is not an issue it is an interesting way to grow. We prefer to prune indeterminate tomatoes to a single stem. That way we can grow more plants in a small space, vertically. For support we use Tomato Clips.

Only indeterminate, not draft varieties need to be pruned. Pruning will give you earlier and better fruit. You have the choice pruning the plant to a single stem by removing the suckers, the little thing between a leaf and a stem that look like little plants.

You can snip the suckers off with your finger. If you decide to prune your plants to a single stem, it is best to do it every week, otherwise the little suckers will grow to a branch.