Why You Should Prune Your Tomato Plants
By Michelle Fabio
With planting season just about underway, before you know it, you’ll also have gorgeous, leafy tomato plants before you.
If you’ve been letting them grow wild without paying attention to pruning, you could be sacrificing your plant’s health and production.
Tomato Plant Health
Remember that tomato plants are just like other plants you know and love: they need good air flow to flourish, and pruning can help you create those spaces among the stalks. Fewer, sparser leaves can also help keep the leaves dry leaves so they aren’t magnets for disease growth.
Another time you should be pruning for your tomato plant’s health is if it has been hit with pests or disease. Removing the affected part of the plant as soon as possible can help stop the affliction from spreading.
Tomato Plant Production
A healthier tomato plant means increased production, of course, but you can do one better and prune the tiny shoots coming off of your plants. By doing so, your plant can forget the shoots and send all of its energy and nutrients into forming fruit, your beloved tomatoes.
Also if you’d like larger tomatoes, remember that the fewer fruits on your plant at a given time increases the chances that your tomatoes will be larger; in that case, you might consider pruning even further.
So, do you prune? What are your secrets?
February 6th, 2009 at 9:59 am
I tried to grow them both ways – pruned and no-pruned.I call it pinching. Yes,I agree with you. In my garden, pruned plants give better fruit. Not-pruned plants look like ….beautiful green plants. I met gardeners who don’t do pruning and have great results. They don’t use supports for the plants, too. They should have some secret…
February 8th, 2009 at 3:53 pm
I am currently wondering what to do with my chili plants as we get into the new growing season. To prune or not to prune? I didn’t realise people has such differing views on the topic!